Good morning, Wake Up Right fam! I grew up in the 90s, so I have core memories of the creepy AOL chat rooms, embarrassing screen names, and being booted offline when my sister picked up the home phone line. Simpler, slower times.

RIP, old friend.

• 🇨🇳 Trump delayed China tariffs by 90 days

• 0️⃣ Pete Buttigieg has 0% support from Black Dems

• 📉 TK

• 💹 62% of Gen Z get financial advice on social media

^{Sources: The National Pulse, Emerson, TK, Harris poll}

Trump takes over D.C.

President Donald Trump has federalized the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and vowed to "take our capital back" from crime and chaos.

The details: Trump announced during a press conference at the White House yesterday that he had invoked section 740 of the Home Rule Act and signed an executive order declaring a “crime emergency” in D.C.

• Trump detailed how D.C. has "been overtaken by violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youths, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people." And added: "We’re not going to let it happen anymore.”

• Under the federalized chain of command, Attorney General Pam Bondi will oversee MPD's 4,000 staff and 3,200 sworn officers. DEA chief Terry Cole will replace MPD chief Pamela Smith.

• DEA, FBI, Secret Service, Park Police, and 800 National Guard soldiers will back the operation, with 100–200 active at any time.

Back up: Trump cited recent high-profile violent crimes, including the murder of his own former staffer Mike Gill, the beating of Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, and the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers.

Back up: Prior to 1973, Washington, D.C. had no local government – it was directly run by Congress. The Home Rule Act of 1973 granted limited self-government, allowing residents to elect a mayor and city council. But Congress still holds the power to overturn local laws and controls the city’s budget.

• The law also permits the president to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department during “special emergency conditions.”

The numbers: The White House cited crime data showing the 2024 murder rate in D.C. was 27.54 per 100K residents. This is higher than notoriously crime-ridden capital cities like Bogota, Colombia [15.1], Mexico City, Mexico [10.6], and Islamabad, Pakistan [9.2].

What the left is saying: Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser described Trump’s moves as “unsettling and unprecedented.” And Democrats have claimed that crime stats have come down since 2023 highs.

• Not so fast: It’s worth mentioning that D.C. Police Commander Michael Pulliam was suspended last month for deliberately falsifying crime data to make it appear less severe. He claims his superiors ordered him to do so.

Zoom out: Since the Home Rule Act, D.C. has never elected a Republican mayor – only elected Democrats.

What the D.C. police are saying: The head of the D.C. Police Union praised Trump's takeover, saying: "We stand with the President... our officers are stretched beyond their limits.”

What happens next? Under the law, Trump’s order stands for 30 days. If he wants it to continue further, it requires a vote from Congress, including a difficult 60 votes in the Senate.

[Source: Washington Examiner, The National Pulse, Daily Caller]

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Trump rescues the border wall materials sold by Biden

Miles of border wall materials bought in President Donald Trump's first term – which the Biden regime tried to sell off – have been reclaimed by the Trump administration.

The backstory: In January 2021, Biden halted construction of the southern border wall which had begun under Trump. This left up to $350 million worth of steel panels and bollards stranded.

• Beginning in June 2024, through December [after Trump won], Biden's Department of Defense was selling off parts at dirt-cheap prices – including $1-per-panel deals – through an auction company called GovPlanet, which specializes in selling surplus government materials.

Trump reclaims the wall: After negotiations with Trump’s Office of the Border Czar, GovPlanet agreed to return them "at-cost" within the next 90 days.

• GovPlanet says it agreed to these terms in order to “protect the millions of dollars U.S. taxpayers have already invested” in the border wall.

The numbers: Border crossings have plummeted since Trump returned to office. In July. Customs and Border Protection apprehended 6,177 illegals – an all-time low. None were allowed to enter the U.S.

What happens next? These materials will get put to good use. The recently passed Big, Beautiful Bill earmarked nearly $50 billion for the construction of the border wall.

[Source: Fox News]

🚨 An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left two dead and sent at least 10 to hospitals. The sprawling facility was also heavily damaged. Read more.

📂 A federal judge appointed by Obama denied a request from the Trump DOJ to unseal grand jury materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases. Read more.

🤼‍♂️ Paramount will pay the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) $7.7 billion over the next seven years to become the sport's exclusive home. Read more.

🔒️ Illegal alien Victor Martinez-Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of Rachel Morin. Read more.

🍟 Eating just three servings of French fries per week was associated with a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at Harvard. Read more.

🏈 The 2026 edition of the popular Madden NFL video game will allow players to do the "Trump dance" as a touchdown celebration. Read more.

🏅 President Trump confirmed that gold imports would not be subject to tariffs, ending days of speculation. Read more.

🤖 Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok was briefly suspended from the social media platform X — which Musk also owns — after it answered users’ questions by comparing Israel to "a parasitic vine choking the tree." Read more.

🇺🇦 Vice President JD Vance says Americans are "done with funding the [Ukraine] war" and says President Trump will force Putin and Zelensky to meet in person. Read more.

🎯 At least three people are dead, and the suspected gunman is in custody after a shooting at a Target store in Austin, Texas. Read more.

🎥 This is why Trump is cracking down on D.C. crime. Watch.

🎥 LMAO... Unhinged anti-Trump protestors turn on each other. Watch.

🎥 The moment two Chinese ships crashed into each other. Watch.

🎥 Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo bought his fiancée an insanely large engagement ring. Watch.

🎥 VP Vance confirms the Trump admin is going after the Russia hoax perpetrators. Watch.

🎥 The Somali dude running for Mayor of Minneapolis shares his TOP priority if elected. Watch.

🎥 France is deporting this Moroccan man for disrespecting a war memorial. Watch.

🎥 WILD: How a fake report of an orca whale killing its trainer went viral with AI. Watch.

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