Today in one sentence: The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to cut nearly $800 million in National Institutes of Health grants tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies; a New York appeals court threw out Trump’s $500 million civil fraud penalty but upheld the finding that he and his company committed fraud; an adviser and fundraiser for New York Mayor Eric Adams handed a reporter a bag of potato chips containing an envelope of cash following a campaign event; a federal judge ruled that Trump’s appointment of his former personal lawyer as U.S. attorney for New Jersey was “unlawful”; Texas House Republicans pushed through new congressional maps along party lines, redrawing districts to give Republicans five more seats in Congress; Trump demanded that Colorado release the former Mesa County clerk serving a nine-year prison sentence for allowing unauthorized access to election equipment; Trump promised to “go out tonight” with police and National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C.; the Trump administration subpoenaed hospitals for confidential records on transgender minors; the Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million valid U.S. visa holders for any violations that could lead to deportation; and Democrats lost 2.1 million registered voters between 2020 and 2024 while Republicans gained 2.4 million, a 4.5 million shift that erased Democratic advantages in battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina.

1/ The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to cut nearly $800 million in National Institutes of Health grants tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. The 5-4 ruling lifted a lower court order that had restored more than 1,700 canceled grants, including studies on HIV prevention, kidney disease, and vaccine hesitancy. Trump ordered the cuts after taking office in January, directing agencies to eliminate DEI programs and funding for “gender ideology.” U.S. District Judge William Young blocked the cancellations in June, calling them “arbitrary and capricious” and saying, “I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this.” The plaintiffs, including 16 states and public-health groups, warned the midstream cancellations would cause “incalculable losses in public health and human life.” Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the suits were filed in the wrong court, allowing the funding cuts to move forward despite the legal challenges. (NBC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

2/ A New York appeals court threw out Trump’s $500 million civil fraud penalty but upheld the finding that he and his company committed fraud. The five-judge panel split, with two judges saying the fine was unconstitutional, two calling for a new trial, and one saying the case never should have been filed. The court left in place restrictions that bar Trump and his sons from serving as New York corporate officers. Judge Peter Moulton wrote, “while harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the State.” Trump nevertheless declared a “TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE” case, while Attorney General Letitia James said “yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law” and vowed to appeal to reinstate the fine. (Associated Press / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Washington Post / Axios / CNBC / NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg / Politico)

3/ An adviser and fundraiser for New York Mayor Eric Adams handed a reporter a bag of potato chips containing an envelope of cash following a campaign event. Reporter Katie Honan said Winnie Greco insisted she take the bag, which contained at least one $100 bill. When The City asked Greco why she gave Honan cash, she replied, “I make a mistake. I’m so sorry. It’s a culture thing. I don’t know. I don’t understand.” When asked again, Greco responded: “Can we forget about this? […] Please don’t do in the news nothing about me. I just wanted to be her friend. […] It’s nothing.” Greco’s attorney later said, “This was no payoff […] money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude.” Greco was suspended from Adams’ reelection campaign and federal prosecutors and the city Department of Investigation are reviewing the incident. Adams was indicted last year on bribery and campaign finance charges, but Trump’s Justice Department ordered the case dropped, claiming that Adams was needed to help carry out Trump’s mass deportation program. (The City / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / The Guardian / Bloomberg)

4/ A federal judge ruled that Trump’s appointment of his former personal lawyer as U.S. attorney for New Jersey was “unlawful.” Judge Matthew Brann said Alina Habba “is not currently qualified to exercise the functions and duties of the office” and barred her from handling cases, though he paused the order while the Justice Department appeals. The ruling came after challenges by two criminal defendants who said Habba’s authority expired after her 120-day interim term. District judges named her deputy as successor, but Attorney General Pam Bondi then fired that deputy and used a personnel maneuver to reinstall Habba as a “special attorney.” (CNN / Politico / Reuters / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

5/ Texas House Republicans pushed through new congressional maps along party lines, redrawing districts to give Republicans five more seats in Congress. The mid-decade redistricting was pushed by Trump, who said his goal was a “100 more seats” Republican majority, called mail-in voting “a total fraud,” and urged Republican states to follow Texas. In response, California lawmakers advanced a plan to add five Democratic-leaning seats, with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying, “We’re going to fight fire with fire.” (Texas Tribune / New York Times / Bloomberg / Axios / Associated Press / CNN / Washington Post / Reuters)

6/ Trump demanded that Colorado release the former Mesa County clerk serving a nine-year prison sentence for allowing unauthorized access to election equipment. Tina Peters was convicted in 2024 on seven counts, including conspiracy and impersonation, after sneaking an outside activist into secure election offices. Prosecutors said her actions cost the county over $1 million, and Judge Matthew Barrett told her at sentencing: “You are no hero, you abused your position, and you’re a charlatan.” Nevertheless, Trump wrote “FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians,” and later warning, “If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!” (Washington Post / The Guardian / The Hill / Axios)

7/ Trump promised to “go out tonight” with police and National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C. The White House gave no details about when or where this would happen, but officials later said he would only visit a law enforcement site to greet agents. Nearly 80% of D.C. residents oppose his federal takeover of the police, which he claims has already reduced crime. “I’ve straightened out crime in four days in D.C., and all they do is say ‘he’s a dictator,’” Trump said, though city data shows violent crime was already at a 30-year low. (CNN / Reuters / Bloomberg / ABC News / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post)

The midterm elections are in 439 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. The Trump administration subpoenaed hospitals for confidential records on transgender minors, demanding Social Security numbers, addresses, and “every writing or record” from doctors. Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed providers “mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology,” and her deputy called gender care “one of the greatest frauds on the American public,” though neither identified specific crimes or evidence. Doctors and advocates called the demands “a breathtakingly invasive government overreach” that has already led hospitals to cut care.(Washington Post / New York Times)

  2. The Trump administration rescinded federal rules that required schools to provide services for students learning English, reversing decades of civil rights enforcement. The Education Department claimed the rules were “overly prescriptive,” while Attorney General Pam Bondi said the move would “promote assimilation over division.” Officials offered no replacement plan or enforcement standards. Advocates questioned whether the administration was abandoning civil rights law, warning, “There is nothing holding the school districts accountable in any meaningful way.” (Washington Post / New York Times)

  3. The U.S. and EU finalized a trade deal that locks in 15% tariffs on most European goods and keeps car duties at 27.5% until Europe lowers its own levies. Alcohol exports were left out of tariff relief, which France’s wine exporters called “immense disappointment.” Trump said Europe’s promised $600 billion in U.S. investment was “a gift” that gave him “$600 billion to invest in anything I want.” (ABC News / Bloomberg / Politico / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post)

  4. Tulsi Gabbard will cut nearly half of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s staff and dissolve several intelligence centers, a move projected to save $700 million a year. Gabbard claimed the office had become “bloated and inefficient” and accused it of “politicized weaponization of intelligence.” The plan also shuts down the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which tracked foreign election interference. (ABC News / Associated Press)

  5. The Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million valid U.S. visa holders for any violations that could lead to deportation. The State Department confirmed “continuous vetting,” including social media searches, law enforcement records, and terrorism links, and said it has already revoked more than twice as many visas as last year. Officials said 6,000 student visas have been revoked since Trump’s return. (Associated Press)

  6. Democrats lost 2.1 million registered voters between 2020 and 2024 while Republicans gained 2.4 million, a 4.5 million shift that erased Democratic advantages in battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina. (New York Times)

Last year today: Day 1310: "Do something."
Five years ago today: Day 1310: "Season of darkness."
Six years ago today: Day 944: Absurd.
Eight years ago today: Day 214: A path forward.