Trump takes over DC police, National Guard deployed despite crime drop: Unbiased Updates, Aug. 12, 2025
President Donald Trump has taken control of Washington, D.C., ordering National Guard troops into the city and placing police under federal command. The move comes even as violent crime in the capital remains at its lowest level in 30 years.
Trump also paused his trade dispute with China, extending the current truce for another 90 days. Both sides now have until early November to reach a deal or face tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods.
And in Pennsylvania, an explosion tore through a steel plant with a long history of safety and environmental violations, killing two people and injuring several others.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
Trump federalizes DC police, will deploy National Guard despite crime drop
The nation’s capital woke up this morning to a major shake-up. National Guard troops are on their way to the city, and Washington, D.C.’s police chief is reporting to the president.
Flanked by his attorney general, defense secretary and the FBI director, President Donald Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital on Monday. He called to activate 800 National Guard troops and ordered the removal of homeless encampments.
“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people. And we’re not going to let it happen anymore. We’re not gonna take it,” Trump said.
Crime stats, however, tell a different story. Washington officials claim violent crime is actually at its lowest level in three decades.
Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized Trump’s moves Monday, calling them unsettling and unprecedented.
“We know that access to our democracy is tenuous … and while this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can’t say that, given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we’re totally surprised,” Bowser said.
The president also previewed Friday’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, saying he’ll know within minutes whether a deal to end the war in Ukraine is possible.
“I’m going to meet with President Putin, and we’re going to see what he has in mind. And if it’s a fair deal, I’ll reveal it to the European Union leaders and to the NATO leaders, and also to President Zelenskyy. I think, out of respect, I’ll call him first, and then I’ll call them after,” Trump said. “And I may say, lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may we can make a deal … and at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made.”
European leaders and Ukraine worry the talks could favor Moscow, especially since Kyiv has no seat at this summit.
The meeting is set to be Trump’s first face-to-face with the Russian president in six years. The last time was when the two met at the G20 summit in Japan.
Trump extends trade truce with China another 90 days
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday, giving China another reprieve from tariffs. The order extended the trade truce by another 90 days, pushing the deadline well into the fall.
In a post on Truth Social, just hours before the truce was set to expire, the president announced, “All other elements of the agreement will remain the same.”
The extension gives the U.S. and China until early November to strike a final deal. Without a deal, tariffs on Chinese imports will jump to 145%.
The White House said negotiations are “ongoing,” and that each round has built on the last.
This is the second time Trump has delayed imposing the higher tariffs. For now, the import tax holds at an already high 30%.
China says it will also extend relief to American companies on its export control and “unreliable entities” list.
New inflation numbers due under new labor leadership
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its July inflation figures Tuesday afternoon. It’s the first report since Trump fired the bureau’s head after a disappointing jobs report.
Now, there’s a new boss in town. Trump named E.J. Antoni, the chief economist at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, as the new commissioner.
On Truth Social, Trump called the economy “booming” and said Antoni would ensure the numbers are “honest and accurate.”
The president ousted Biden-appointed commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month after the June jobs report came in below expectations. The report also showed that previous months were revised down.
Trump accused her of “fudging the numbers” to make him look bad.
Critics said he fired her simply because the report was negative and the stock market tanked.
Explosion rocks Pennsylvania steel plant; 2 dead, at least 10 hurt
A huge explosion rocked a Pennsylvania steel plant Monday, killing two workers and injuring at least 10 others. The blast ripped through U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works — about 15 miles south of Pittsburgh — just before 11 a.m. ET on Monday.
A time-lapse video captured the moment flames and dense black smoke erupted into the sky, shaking buildings and scattering debris. Emergency crews pulled one survivor from the rubble.
Officials said the explosion caused several secondary blasts inside the battery area, but the cause remains under investigation.
Most injuries are not life-threatening, and air monitors have not detected hazardous pollution levels.
The Clairton plant — the largest coke-making facility in North America — employs about 1,400 workers and has a history of safety and environmental violations.
Tropical Storm Erin could become 1st major hurricane of 2025 by week’s end
Tropical Storm Erin spins in the eastern Atlantic on Monday morning. Already deadly, it could become the first major hurricane of the season by week’s end.
The storm formed just west of the Cabo Verde Islands, already bringing heavy rain and causing deadly flooding. At least seven people, including four children, were killed.
Satellite images show Erin moving westward with winds of around 45 miles per hour. Forecasters expect it to intensify over the next few days and potentially reach Category 3 strength before passing north of Puerto Rico this weekend.
Models project Erin curving away from the U.S., but it’s still too early to say for sure.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season runs through November, and SAN will monitor Erin closely as the forecast updates.
Taylor Swift announces 12th album: ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
A new era begins for Taylor Swift. The pop superstar announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” overnight.
At 12:12 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Swift updated her website with the news. This was followed by a social media tease for Wednesday’s episode of the New Heights podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason.
No release date yet, but her website says pre-orders will ship before Oct. 13.
The announcement comes just months after she wrapped her record-breaking Eras World Tour: 150 shows, five continents, a global phenomenon.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
