Friday August 22nd, 2025
SCOTUS nukes DEI; NY fraud fine erased; Redistricting arms race
Supreme Court torches NIH diversity grants, Trump wriggles free of a $500M penalty but can’t shake the fraud label, and Texas and California start a gerrymandering knife fight for Congress. Meanwhile, DC gets a law-and-order cosplay, and New York’s mayoral circus hands out cash in chip bags. Strap in—tomorrow’s fallout will be extra crispy.
Today in one sentence: The Supreme Court greenlights Trump’s anti-DEI purge of NIH grants; Trump dodges a crippling financial penalty but not a fraud rap; New York’s campaign finance scandals multiply; Trump’s handpicked prosecutor in Jersey gets the boot from a federal judge; and the country’s new redistricting war signals more legal chaos ahead.
1. NIH Grant Cuts Spark Public Health Outcry
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, universities and public health groups (Axios, AP, Politico) are expected to announce mass layoffs and research shutdowns—especially in HIV, kidney disease, and vaccine hesitancy. Look for Democratic governors to threaten state funding backfills and lawsuits, while the biomedical lobby warns of brain drain to Europe. Next up: expect medical journals and international consortia to court U.S. researchers abandoned by Trump’s DEI inquisition.
2. Trump Fraud Fine Gone, But Heat Isn’t Off
With New York’s $500M civil fraud penalty vacated but the liability sticking (Bloomberg, CNN, Fox News), Letitia James vows to appeal and opens the door for new federal probes into her case. Trump will crow about ‘total victory,’ but banks and insurers may quietly tighten the screws on his business. Don’t be shocked if GOP megadonors demand less drama and more plausible deniability.
3. NYC Campaign Cash Scandal Gets Messier
The chip-bag cash stunt by a top Eric Adams adviser (Washington Post, Fox News, NYT) triggers fresh federal campaign finance scrutiny. Expect the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney and city watchdogs to widen their probe into Adams’ donor network, with more staffers suspended. Media outlets will swarm Adams, and rival mayoral campaigns are already drafting attack ads starring potato chips. Unintended side effect: a spike in campaign staffer ‘gift-giving’ trainings citywide.
4. Trump’s Jersey Prosecutor Pick Faces Federal Freeze
After Judge Brann ruled Alina Habba’s appointment unlawful (CNN, Politico, NYT), the Justice Department scrambles to contain the fallout. Federal cases may be delayed or dropped as defendants challenge convictions, and state GOPers will howl about ‘deep state’ sabotage. Quietly, senior DOJ officials are reviewing a dozen similar Trump appointments for legal vulnerabilities. Watch for opportunistic lawsuits from the criminal defense bar.
5. Redistricting Arms Race Escalates in CA and TX
With Texas and California gerrymander bills racing to governor’s desks (CNN, Politico, Axios), Republicans crow about five new seats while California Democrats hustle a rival ballot measure. Both parties vow lawsuits, and the California Supreme Court just punted on blocking Newsom’s plan (CBS News). Next: expect a blizzard of legal filings and emergency appeals to SCOTUS, plus a new round of voter confusion and litigation over who’s eligible to vote where in 2026.
Notables
Hospitals Cut Gender Care Programs
Doctors report mounting cancellations after Trump’s administration subpoenas confidential records on transgender minors (Washington Post, NYT). Civil liberties groups prepping lawsuits; 70% chance of a major medical association public rebuke tomorrow.
O.D.N.I. Gutted by Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard’s slashing of the Director of National Intelligence’s staff (AP, ABC) will force the shutdown of the Foreign Malign Influence Center. Expect fewer briefings to Congress, and foreign disinfo ops to get a little bolder very fast.
Dem Voter Rolls Erode More
Democrats’ sliding registration in battlegrounds (NYT) spooks local party chairs. Quiet panic meetings planned; 60% chance of new DNC ad campaign targeting lapsed voters rolling out by Sunday.
Tomorrow’s politics: bring popcorn and a helmet.