Tuesday August 5th, 2025
Trump’s Data Purge, Texas Redraw, and Public Media’s Funeral
Jobs data gets Trump’s personal touch, Texas Dems go AWOL, blue states threaten map warfare, and the deficit explodes—meanwhile, Big Bird packs his bags.
Today in one sentence: Trump’s crusade against inconvenient statistics just turbocharged the war on democracy’s infrastructure: from gutting the Bureau of Labor Statistics, driving Texas lawmakers into exile, and igniting gerrymander tit-for-tats in blue states, to detonating the deficit and axing public media—buckle up, the next 24 hours are going to be nasty, petty, and impressively stupid.
1. Markets Reel After Data Chief Firing
Trump’s sacking of the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief and open pressure on the Fed rattled Wall Street. Bloomberg reports bond yields shot above 5% on fears of cooked numbers and unhinged fiscal management. The Wall Street Journal says investors are now openly worrying about the reliability of economic data, with some strategists warning that this is how you break a market’s faith in reality. Look for at least one big bank to call for an independent probe of the BLS by tomorrow. Ripple: Expect a surge in gold and crypto as faith in government stats tanks.
2. Abbott Threatens Democrats With Expulsion
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is going full authoritarian, threatening to remove Democratic lawmakers who fled to block the GOP’s gerrymander. The Houston Chronicle and Texas Tribune confirm civil arrest warrants have been issued (pointless unless Dems return), while Abbott vows to invoke a 2021 opinion to kick them from office. Don’t be shocked if some Dems face felony charges for bribery-by-crowdfunding by tomorrow afternoon. Ripple: Blue states may start offering legal help—or flights—to Texas fugitives.
3. Blue States Fast-Track Gerrymander Revenge
California and New York’s moves to redraw congressional maps aren’t just bluster: Newsom and Hochul are pushing ‘trigger’ legislation and ballot measures to vaporize GOP districts if Texas changes its map, per Politico and the LA Times. But there are major procedural hurdles—California must whip up a ballot measure with only tepid polling support, and New York’s moves will likely spark lawsuits. Watch for news of a coalition lawsuit by Republican groups by EOD. Ripple: National Dems quietly prepping to fund ‘emergency’ campaign ads in Texas and New York.
4. Bond Markets Panic at CBO Deficit Forecasts
Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance say the deficit bomb in Trump’s ‘beautiful bill’ has already sent Treasury yields to multi-year highs—30-year rates burst past 5% amid warnings of ‘massive inflation psychology.’ The CBO’s projection of a $4 trillion deficit spike—and the risk of $5 trillion if tax breaks stick—has traders bracing for more rate hikes, not cuts. Expect headlines tomorrow about a battered dollar and a spike in mortgage rates. Ripple: At least one foreign finance minister will troll the U.S. on Twitter by morning.
5. Public Broadcasting Collapse Triggers Local Media Crisis
The CPB shutdown isn’t just killing NPR and PBS funding; Ashland News and WSWS note dozens of local affiliates are prepping mass layoffs. Some flagship shows (like Tiny Desk) might limp on with private donations, but rural and minority stations are toast. Expect stories of dead air, lost emergency alerts, and towns holding bake sales to save their only news outlet. Ripple: At least one GOP lawmaker will awkwardly beg for funding for their ‘local’ station they just helped kill.
Notables
NASA’s Reactor Order Faces Contractor Revolt
NASA’s fast-track mandate for a lunar nuclear reactor comes as the agency’s budget is gutted, per Politico. Expect at least one major contractor to threaten delay or demand cost-plus guarantees by tomorrow.
VA Abortion Ban Sparks Protests
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ nearly total ban on abortion is set to trigger protests at VA hospitals in several states tomorrow; advocacy groups are already mobilizing.
Smithsonian Trump Placard Restoration Battle
With the Smithsonian forced to restore Trump’s impeachment placard, look for a lawsuit (or a new executive order) over museum ‘ideology’ within 24 hours (60% chance).
See you tomorrow, unless Texas arrests half its legislature first.