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President Trump will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for a state visit as the pair seeks to deepen their personal relationship and maintain some future stability.
What to Expect From Xi’s Big Visit: Kicked Cans
Trump will roll out the red carpet for the Chinese leader, but current and former officials don’t envision big breakthroughs during the talks.
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Jury deliberations are expected to begin Wednesday in the bribery trial of D.C. Council member Trayon White after both sides delivered their closing arguments Tuesday.
Jurors Are Set to Decide Trayon White's Fate
Prosecutors say the video evidence of White exchanging cash is “indisputable,” while the Ward 8 council member’s defense says he didn’t engage in a crime.
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Flights were delayed at Reagan International Airport on Tuesday night after a lighting equipment failure forced the FAA to close runways, according to DCA officials.
Runway Light Failure Triggers Delays and Cancellations at DCA
The flight stoppage was extended until at least 10 p.m.
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In today’s newsletter: ⚖️ Closing arguments in the Trayon White trial 🤖 How D.C. government wants to use AI 🏀 And: the Mystics’ playoff push
The Washington Sun Metro: Jury's Out
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The legal drama over Missouri’s congressional districts reached the Supreme Court for a third time on Tuesday night, setting up the justices to deliver the final word on which map the state will use in the midterms.
Missouri Redistricting Clash Returns to the Supreme Court
The appeal is the third time the court is set to weigh in on Republicans' push to target one Democratic district in Missouri.
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Today’s notice: 🤝 What to expect from Xi Jinping’s state visit 🩺 A scoop about RFK Jr. and cancer screenings 👀 And: What’s going on in Montana?
Skynet, Rebranded
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. privately said he wants the federal government to recommend a cancer-detection test that has sharply divided medical professionals but has close financial ties to the MAHA movement.
Kennedy Privately Backs Cancer-Detection Tests With Ties to MAHA
Several key industry players developing the tests are sponsoring or speaking at the Make America Healthy Again Summit next week, which will be attended by top health officials.
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The political consulting firm that runs President Trump’s social media accounts sued its co-founder in federal court. https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/social-media-accounts-embezzlement-x-strategies
Firm That Handles Trump Social Media Accounts Accuse Co-Founder of Embezzlement
X Strategies, led by Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, sued Derek Utley for allegedly siphoning money to fund his gambling addiction.
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The Trump administration informed Congress that most of the refugees the U.S. will admit in the next fiscal year will be white South Africans. https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/white-south-africans-refugees
The U.S. Will Admit ‘Primarily’ White South Africans as Refugees
The country’s refugee cap will more than double in October for next fiscal year, the State Department informed Congress on Tuesday.
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President Trump backed a ban on U.S. diesel exports as pressure from Republicans grows for an embargo on the shipments to curb soaring fuel prices. https://www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/president-trump-diesel-export-ban-proposal-prices
Trump Backs Ban on Diesel Exports Amid Growing Calls From Republicans
Average diesel prices continue to break records as international conflicts put a strain on the global oil supply.
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A growing number of Republicans are publicly breaking with President Trump, a sign that the party may be viewing him as a liability in the midterms. https://www.washingtonsun.com/campaigns/republicans-breaking-with-trump-midterms-war-economy
Survival Over Loyalty: Why Republicans Are Breaking With Trump
A string of GOP candidates are publicly disagreeing with the president’s policies or downplaying ties to the president as his approval ratings slide.
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The Trump administration did not issue an entry visa to Sudan’s de-facto leader ahead of his visit to the UNGA this week. https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/sudan-denied-us-visa-un-general-assembly-abdel-fattan-burhan
Sudanese Leader Denied U.S. Visa Ahead of U.N. General Assembly
Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan’s ability to receive the visa reportedly hinges on his approval of a 90-day ceasefire plan negotiated by the U.S.
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President Trump said that he has ordered the U.S. government to refer to AI in all official documents as “super intelligence.” https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/ai-super-intelligence
Trump Says He’s Ordering the Government to Call AI ‘Super Intelligence’
The suggestion came days after industry leaders called for greater government oversight of the emerging technology.
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Lauren Boebert, Dan Crenshaw and Michael McCaul failed to file their annual financial disclosures on time despite each requesting and receiving an extension from the House Ethics Committee. https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/boebert-crenshaw-mccaul-congress-financial-disclosures-late
Three Republicans Failed to File Annual Financial Disclosures
Lauren Boebert, Dan Crenshaw and Michael McCaul aren't complying with a federal transparency law.
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The FBI reportedly investigated Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ campaign over alleged pay-to-play schemes involving a military contractor. https://www.washingtonsun.com/senate/susan-collins-fbi-corrpution-maine
Susan Collins Denies Wrongdoing After Bombshell Report on FBI Corruption Probe
The FBI reportedly investigated ties between Collins’ campaign and a military contractor roughly seven years ago.
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The Cuban delegation abruptly walked out of the UNGA during President Trump’s speech Tuesday after he mentioned ongoing negotiations with its government. https://www.washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/un-speech-cuba-delegation
Cuba’s Delegation Storms Out of Trump’s U.N. Speech
The delegation’s exit came after Trump’s remarks about the country and its government.
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Vice President JD Vance announced that the federal government is removing more than 750,000 people from their ACA coverage. https://www.washingtonsun.com/healthcare/vance-task-force-obamacare-affordable-care-act-aca-enrollment-fraud
Vance’s Task Force Strips 750,000 ACA Enrollments Over Accusations of Fraud
Some insurance brokers will also be suspended over accusations that they erroneously enrolled the individuals.
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Donald Trump made 1,156 personal financial fund trades in July. The president averaged 77 individual transactions per active trading day, according to a filing with the Office of Government Ethics. https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/donald-trump-stock-trades-oil-ai-defense
Weapons, Oil, AI: Trump Made 1,156 Personal Financial Trades During July
Many of the president’s stock purchases and sales, which span numerous industries, were not disclosed by a federal deadline.
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The South Dakota secretary of state, a Republican, made the surprise decision to cross party lines to endorse a Democrat to succeed her. https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/republican-boosting-democrat-south-dakota-democrat-secretary-state
How a Republican Is Boosting a South Dakota Democrat's Campaign
The Democratic candidate in South Dakota’s secretary of state race received a surprising endorsement from the Republican incumbent.
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White House aides have prepared to confront Beijing over the alleged theft of U.S. AI models by their Chinese competitors. https://www.washingtonsun.com/trump-white-house/trump-aides-prepared-confront-china-over-alleged-ai-theft
Trump Aides Have Prepared to Confront China Over Alleged AI Theft
Such a confrontation would run afoul of what some tech leaders close to the president have argued.
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President Trump appeared surprised to see CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a trip to the UNGA on Tuesday. “You should not be here,” Trump told the anchor. https://www.washingtonsun.com/media/trump-kaitlan-collins-cnn-white-house-ban-united-nations
Trump Appears Surprised to See Kaitlan Collins After White House Ban
“You should not be here,” Trump told the CNN anchor during a trip to the United Nations.
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The president has said the deal would boost U.S. military presence on the island he once hoped to take over entirely. https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/trump-signs-greenland-denmark-agreement
Trump Signs Greenland Agreement With Denmark
The president has said the deal would boost U.S. military presence on the island he once hoped to take over entirely.
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President Trump’s war with Iran and his inability to manage its impact have eroded some advantages the U.S. has traditionally leveraged in talks with China, experts argue. https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/trump-xi-meet-us-unfamiliar-position-weakened
Trump and Xi Meet With the U.S. in an Unfamiliar Position: Weakened
The Iran war and global economic strain have eroded some advantages American officials previously enjoyed in talks between the rivals.
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President Trump threatens to “annihilate” Iran at the U.N. https://www.washingtonsun.com/foreign-policy/trump-threatens-to-destroy-iran-at-united-nations
Trump Threatens to ‘Annihilate’ Iran at the U.N.
The president delivered an ultimatum to the U.S. adversary that he’s made before, but did it on a much larger stage.
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Republican Sen. John Curtis called for testimony from Donald Trump Jr. following reports that a Russian oligarch linked to Vladimir Putin bankrolled part of Trump Jr.’s wedding. https://www.washingtonsun.com/republicans/donald-trump-jr-wedding-investigation
Republican Senator Demands Investigation Into Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding
He also wants to hear from Hunter Biden.
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In the newsletter: - Trump unplugged - “I’m glad I’m not on the ballot, I know that,” a Republican senator tells us - And: The Secret Service hires polygraph vendors https://www.washingtonsun.com/newsletters/tuned-out
Tuned Out
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The Working Families Party is arguing that the fight against AI will be the country’s defining political issue for the foreseeable future. https://washingtonsun.com/technology/ai-backlash-working-families-party
Progressives Think They Can Capitalize on the AI Backlash
The Working Families Party wants to pivot to focusing on AI as the technology becomes a defining issue.
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The Secret Service will outsource its rigorous polygraph screenings for the first time in history. https://www.washingtonsun.com/policy/secret-service-polygraph-screenings
Secret Service Outsources Its Polygraph Screenings for the First Time
The agency that protects the president and high-profile politicians says exams for new hires will be as rigorous as those from the famously tough in-house team.
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Senate Republicans’ troubles on affordability went from bad to worse after the Federal Reserve voted to raise interest rates last week, a move that will likely increase prices on a number of fronts. https://washingtonsun.com/campaigns/affordability-problems-midterm-elections
Republicans' Affordability Problems Go From Bad to Worse
“I’m glad I’m not on the ballot,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer. “It’s hard to convince people the economy’s doing great when theirs isn’t.”
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President Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters on Monday that they focused on housing development for the city during their meeting at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence.
Trump and Mamdani Focus on Housing at Their New York Meetup
The pair agreed to “set up a new level of that conversation” between City Hall and the White House on housing development for New York.
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