Tuesday morning news: August 12, 2025

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Trump Washington D.C.  » The federal government has assumed control over Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.

President Trump declared a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia Monday and announced the Justice Dept. will take the lead in policing the district.

TRUMP:  Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and blood thirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, and we're not gonna let it happen anymore. We're not gonna take it.

But D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters:

BOWSER:  I believe, um, that the president's view of D.C. is shaped by his COVID era experience during his first term, and it is true that those were more challenging times related to some issues.

But D.C.’s Democratic attorney general says violent crime in D.C. reached historic 30-year lows last year and is down again this year.

Trump says he does not buy those numbers and that crime in the district is still rampant.

Attorney General Pam Bondi says the head of the DEA will take the lead:

BONDI:  Terry Cole is going to be supervising the Metro Police Department, Gadi Serta. Our US Marshal is going to be supervising command and control.

Under a 1973 statute, the president can take control of D.C.’s police for 48 hours without telling Congress. But after notifying lawmakers in writing, he can extend control for 30 days. After that, he can renew that authority if Congress signs off on it.

Trump said he is also deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law and order in the nation's capital.

Austin Texas shooting » Police in Austin, Texas say a gunman killed three people outside of a Target store Monday.

Police Chief Lisa Davis described the suspect as a 32-year-old man with a “mental health history.”

She said the suspect, after opening fire in the parking lot, stole a car from the scene:

DAVIS: Took that car, wrecked that car, then hijacked another car. He was then found by Austin PD in South Austin where he was taken into custody after a tasing.

Authorities said two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene and a third died at a local hospital.

SOUND: [Strike aftermath, children screaming]

Israel-Gaza latest » More than a dozen Palestinians were reportedly killed in two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City yesterday.

Some Palestinians aimed their anger at Hamas.

ANGRY MAN: [Speaking Arabic]

Video shows this man carrying the body of a child and screaming...you've killed our children, Hamas! You've killed our children!

Another man seated near the bodies of children could reportedly be heard calling on God to punish Hamas.

Condemnation of the terror group within the Gaza Strip is growing louder, even as many world leaders have directed their ire at Israel over civilian suffering.

Also yesterday, hundreds turned out for the funerals of a number of Al Jazeera journalists killed in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military said one of the men was the leader of a Hamas cell and says it has the rosters, terrorist training lists, and salary records to prove it. Al Jazeera denies the allegations.

Maxwell transcripts » A federal judge has refused to make public secret grand jury testimony from the case of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Benjamin Eicher reports.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Federal Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan said Monday that releasing the materials would undermine the confidentiality that is essential to grand jury proceedings

The judge also said the materials offered virtually no new information beyond what has already been revealed.

And he suggested the government’s motivation for requesting the unsealing was a—“diversion—aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such.”

A jury in 20-21 found that Ghislaine Maxwell helped Jeffrey Epstein recruit, groom, and abuse underage girls.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and related crimes.

For WORLD, I'm Benjamin Eicher.

Texas redistricting fight » A political standoff over a new congressional map in Texas continues with no end in sight.

Many Democratic state lawmakers remain camped out in blue states to deny the Texas House the two-thirds attendance threshold needed for a quorum. That means the House cannot vote on the new Republican-drawn redistricting map.

Texas Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Monday:

BURROWS:  You can go to another city, another state, even another time zone, but you cannot escape your responsibility to the people of Texas. Eventually you will be here.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued civil arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers. And Burrows says those Democrats will be held financially liable for the cost of trying to track them down. They’re also facing $500-a-day fines.

But one of those Democrats, Mihaela Plesa told reporters:

PLESA:   Any consequences that comes to us being here, we will gladly take.

Gov. Abbott has also threatened to remove those lawmakers from office, though Democrats claim he lacks that authority.

The newly drawn map could give the GOP five more Republican-leaning districts in Texas.

Wisconsin flooding » The Milwaukee area is drying out after historic weekend rainfall. More than 14 inches reportedly fell in less than 24 hours in one area, pushing rivers beyond their banks, washing out vehicles, and cutting power to thousands.

One suburban Milwaukee resident described to WISN-TV how flood waters overtook his car.

AUDIO: I got out the car, climbed on top of the car, first of all, like I got out the car and slipped under into the water, but I climbed back up. That's how I busted my knuckles and everything..

The National Weather Service says four rivers in the Milwaukee area hit record-high levels.

As of Monday, no fatalities have been reported.

About 2,000 homes remained without power. And there was more rain in the forecast but nothing like the weekend deluge.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a conversation with WORLD’s Steve West on a couple freedom of conscience cases. Plus, changing policies meant to protect religious freedom of federal employees.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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