Good morning and happy Wednesday! I’m taking my girls out to breakfast this morning before we come home and do a deep clean of our homeschool room in preparation for the upcoming school year. Wish me luck - it’s going to be a big task!
Let’s jump into the Dawn Dispatch for July 16th, 2025…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Memo declares undocumented immigrants ineligible for Bond Hearings
The Washington Post reported Monday on the release of a July 8 memo from acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, that immigrants should be detained “for the duration of their removal proceedings.” Previously, detained immigrants were allowed to request bond hearings before an immigration judge. Immigrants may still be released on parole under the new policy, but this decision is ultimately up to an immigration officer, not a judge.
Bottom Line: According to The Washington Post, Congress passed a spending package in July that provides approximately $ 45 billion in funding over five years to fund deportation proceedings. Coupled with the new directive, ICE could double the nation's immigration detention capacity. Some immigration lawyers report that the change is a way to detain more immigrants without a formal review. Supporters of the new procedures are hopeful that the process prevents “frivolous” claims and backs up the system. Typically, when a detainee requests a bond, their case is often delayed to allow a formal review, which could result in a temporary release.
Attorney General Pam Bondi fires Department of Justice advisor, Joseph Tirrell
On Monday July 14 the former DoJ advisor released a letter sent to him from the AG last Friday, on his LinkedIn, while highlighting the dismissal was “without cause.” The letter simply stated, “Pursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States, your employment with the Department of Justice is hereby terminated, and you are removed from federal service, effective immediately.”
Bottom Line: Joseph Tirrell did not provide any criticism or any speculation about his firing; however, speculation around various news sources claims the firing was in part due to Tirrell’s connection to Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump and January 6th proceedings. According to Politico, Tirrell was also responsible for signing off on $140,000 of free legal services given to Smith before he resigned.
Minimal reaction from the Kremlin following President Trump’s tariff threats
Following up on President Trump’s tariff threat, The 50 day peace deal timeline between Ukraine and Russia seemed to result in little-to-no impact as the Moscow Stock Exchange was up %2.7 after opening Tuesday morning. Oil prices fell by more than $1 following the announcement, indicating a potential chess move by investors skeptical of the threats, while some believe the timeline gives Russia no real motivation to continue discussions, and will instead delay tariffs more. Russian security official, Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow simply did not care about the “theatrical ultimatum” and Putin would respond only when the proposal seemed like a necessity.
Bottom Line: Russia seems unnerved by the move, particularly due to the previous threats of tariffs earlier this year that were ultimately negotiated following discussions between Putin and President Trump. However, on Tuesday, Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov reported to Vladimir Putin a trend in Russia’s economic crisis that highlights economic strain and labor shortages, threatening economic instability. Birth rates are plummeting in Russia, and the war in Ukraine has exacerbated labor shortages, as many working-age males are being pulled from the country for the war. In a separate report on Monday, Russia also announced an agreement with India that would import 1 million to its workforce by the end of this year as a means to supplement the lack of a qualified workforce.
DEA Announces a ‘Frightening’ Meth Surge Targeting College-Age Adults
The DEA is planning to hold a press conference to address a recent surge in the use of methamphetamine, especially meth-laced pills being sold as drugs like Adderall, according to ABC News reporting. Seizures this year alone have nearly doubled compared to last year’s seizures combined. Acting DEA administrator, Robert Murphy, states the most disturbing fact is “Mexican cartels control %100 of it. They control production, the smuggling, the distribution in the United States, and obviously the actual collection of monies and getting the money back into Mexico.” Many of the intercepted shipments of these drugs have included packages of produce such as cucumbers, celery, and green onions, all lined with or disguised as packages of meth.
Bottom Line: The cartels have shifted their focus onto pill forms of laced drugs, as they are looked at amongst the general public as less stigmatized and create a more marketable approach. This allows cartels and drug dealers to ultimately sell a product to college-aged students under the guise of Adderall or MDMA, unknowingly taking a drug laced with meth, and then forming an addiction to these particular drugs, sold by a particular dealer. Oftentimes, these cycles can lead to overdose as students are unaware of what they are even ingesting.
Trump Strikes Deal with Indonesia
President Trump reached a preliminary trade agreement with Indonesia yesterday, averting the 32% tariffs he had previously threatened to impose beginning August 1st. Under the new deal, Indonesia will instead face 19% duties on its exports to America, while Indonesian tariffs on US goods will be eliminated entirely. The White House reports that Trump negotiated the terms directly with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Prabowo has been actively pursuing international partnerships in recent weeks, including his attendance at France's Bastille Day celebrations on Monday to strengthen Paris-Jakarta relations, along with expanding economic ties in the Gulf region.
Trump Touts $90 Billion in Energy and AI Investments During Pittsburgh Summit
President Trump traveled to Pittsburgh yesterday to announce what he called "the largest package of investments in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," touting more than $90 billion of investments in the state during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University. The president declared the investments will bring "tens of thousands of jobs" to Pennsylvania and focus on constructing data centers to power artificial intelligence and establishing an energy innovation center to train workers in energy and AI jobs. Trump highlighted Westinghouse's plans to build 10 nuclear reactors across the country and touted his involvement in the $14 billion partnership between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel to revitalize the Mon Valley.
The summit, hosted by Republican Senator Dave McCormick, brought together top executives from energy, AI, and investment companies to position Pennsylvania as a national hub for technological innovation. "We're building a future where American workers will forge the steel, produce the energy, build the factories and really run a country like, I believe, this country has never been run before," Trump said during the event.
However, many of the deals for which the president has taken credit predate his presidency or are part of companies' existing plans to partake in the AI gold rush. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed skepticism about the announced investments, stating,"There's a difference between what someone says in a press release today and when shovels go into the ground in the future."The visit came as protests appeared on Carnegie Mellon's campus, with signs reading "Protest the Summit" painted on campus fencing by students opposing fossil fuels and what they termed "AI for surveillance."
Speaking of AI: I bet you aren’t hearing tons about this, but it’s important!
Things to look out for…
Thousands of Afghans were moved to the UK in a secret scheme after a data breach
Russia vows to 'firmly defend' interests in Baltic after Estonia HIMARS test
Clerics accuse West Bank settlers of attacking Christian sites | Reuters
With temporary protections for some Afghans set to expire, appeals court steps in
Exclusive: Spain and Ireland to join more than 30 states to declare ‘concrete measures’ against Israel | Spain and Ireland to Join more than 30 States to Declare ‘concrete’ measures against Israel
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1769 - Father Junípero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, founded the first Catholic mission in California on the site of present-day San Diego, naming it San Diego de Alcala.
1790 - Congress declares that a swampy, humid, muddy and mosquito-infested site on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia will be the nation's permanent capital, establishing what would become Washington, D.C.
1918 - Czar Nicholas II and his family are executed by the Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg, Russia, bringing an end to the three-century-old Romanov dynasty.
1935 - The world's first parking meter, known as Park-O-Meter No. 1, is installed on the southeast corner of what was then First Street and Robinson Avenue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
1941 - New York Yankee slugger Joe DiMaggio extends his hitting streak to 56 games, a Major League record that still stands. The streak would end the following day.
1945 - The Atomic Age begins as the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon near Alamogordo, New Mexico in the Trinity test, part of the Manhattan Project. The first atomic bomb test would lead to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki just weeks later.
1969 - Apollo 11, the first U.S. lunar landing mission, is launched on a historic journey to the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would become the first humans to walk on the moon four days later.
1973 - During live Senate Watergate hearings, explosive news is revealed: A secret taping system inside the White House had recorded all of President Richard Nixon's telephone calls and in-person conversations. This revelation would prove crucial to Nixon's eventual resignation. If you want to learn more about the WATERGATE scandal, I wrote about it here.
Alright friends, I hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see you back here, bright and early tomorrow, for another installment of the Dawn Dispatch.
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