Overview

• The White House expanded federal control in Washington, stationing more than 3,000 National Guard troops and placing the metropolitan police under federal authority.
• President Trump said he will seek the death penalty for homicide in Washington, signed an order criminalizing flag burning, and authorized faster National Guard deployments to suppress protests.
• Personnel actions escalated as Trump dismissed Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, fired 30 FEMA staffers who warned about cuts, and his health secretary removed CDC director Susan Monarez.
• The FBI searched John Bolton’s home last week in a classified‑information probe, and the Justice Department has launched investigations involving critics including Letitia James, Adam Schiff and James Comey.
• Opinion and reporting describe an accelerating authoritarian drift enabled by congressional majorities and a Supreme Court majority that has limited lower‑court checks on contested executive actions.