eNewspaper | Crosswords | Horoscopes

On Politics

Wed Aug 13 2025

Rebecca Morin | Newsletter Writer

@RebeccaMorin_

Hello! Rebecca Morin here. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, was just in Puerto Rico to see Bad Bunny this past weekend. Now, I'm counting down the days until I'm on the island later this month!

Where Trump and Putin will meet in Alaska

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's high stakes summit on Friday will take place at a sprawling U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska. The face-to-face meeting, billed as a "listening exercise" by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, will be held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, spread over 13,000 square acres, to discuss Russia's three-year war on Ukraine. The meeting, which was announced last week, will be the first time in four years that a U.S. president has met Putin since the war began. What to know about the base.

A call with Zelenskyy: Trump met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Wednesday. Trump later spoke to reporters about the call, saying "I would rate it a 10." Trump is meeting with Putin without the presence of Zelenskyy.

Russian troops advance in Ukraine: Small bands of Russian soldiers thrust deeper into eastern Ukraine on Tuesday ahead of the Trump-Putin summit this week. Russian troops advanced near the coal-mining town of Dobropillia, part of Putin's campaign to take full control of Ukraine's Donetsk region. Ukraine's military dispatched reserve troops, saying they were in difficult combat against small groups of advancing Russian soldiers. How the move could impact the summit.

•	See when Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US counterparts.
•	Photos: Peek inside the Alaska military base that will host Trump-Putin summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hands President Trump a World Cup football after their summit on July 16, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland. The two leaders met one-on-one and discussed a range of issues including allegations of 2016 U.S election interference.

Chris McGrath, Getty Images

A politics pit stop

•	The IRS has had six leaders in 2025. What that means for taxpayers.
•	LA banned the N and C words from council meetings. Can it do that?
•	Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeks to jail Beto O'Rourke for redistricting battle fundraising.
•	Ashley Biden, daughter of Joe Biden, files for divorce from husband.
•	Trump takeover shows why DC should be 51st state, mayor says.

Has the immigrant population plummeted?

The United States' immigrant population may have dropped by roughly 2 million people in the first six months of the year, according to new government data. The new data offer an early – if imperfect – signal that President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown may already be showing an impact. The new data, which comes from a survey of 60,000 households every month, could occasionally overstate or understate population shifts, and demographers say it could be years before a full picture emerges. In addition, due to Trump's sprawling crackdown on illegal immigration, some survey respondents may now be too scared to tell the government whether they or members of their household are immigrants. Why data shows the immigrant population is dropping.

•	As Trump's approach to immigration enforcement sees results, some call it 'ludicrous.'

Trump reveals Kennedy Center honorees

Donald Trump: president, Kennedy Center chairman, and now emcee. While announcing the nominees for the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump revealed that he had agreed to emcee the event after organizers allegedly begged him to fill the role, arguing he would bring better ratings. The show will air later this year on CBS. Country music legend George Strait, Michael Crawford, who originated the role of the phantom in Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera," Sylvester Stallone, disco star Gloria Gaynor and rock band KISS were all nominated. Trump said he was "98% involved" with deciding the nominees.

•	Photos: Trump unveils 2025 Kennedy Center honorees including Sylvester Stallone.
•	Trump administration launches Smithsonian review to remove 'divisive' materials.

President Donald Trump speaks as actor Sylvester Stallone is unveiled as one of the Kennedy Center Honors nominees on August 13, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Mandel Ngan, AFP via Getty Images

Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at rdmorin@usatoday.com.