<p>President Trump renews his push to eliminate mail-in voting by executive order ahead of the 2026 midterms. The U.S. Navy deploys three destroyers off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s escalating war on drug cartels. The White House touts a string of recent victories, including progress on a Ukraine peace deal, a sharp drop in D.C. crime, and a record-high stock market.</p>
<p>It’s Wednesday, August 20, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.</p>
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<h2><b>Trump Vows to End ‘Corrupt’ Mail-In Voting</b></h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
<p><b><span class="citation-274">Topline:</span></b><span class="citation-274 citation-end-274"> President Trump announced on Monday that he is renewing his push to eliminate mail-in voting nationwide by executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, calling the practice a &#8220;fraud.&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span class="citation-273 citation-end-273">&#8220;We&#8217;re going to stop mail-in ballots because it&#8217;s corrupt,&#8221; Trump said Monday, arguing that it is the &#8220;only way&#8221; Democrats can win elections. </span><span class="citation-272 citation-end-272">The president is also taking aim at electronic voting machines, which he called &#8220;seriously controversial,&#8221; in favor of watermarked paper ballots. </span><span class="citation-271 citation-end-271">The expected executive order is likely to face immediate legal challenges, as states constitutionally control election administration. </span></p>
<p>Democrats have vowed to fight the move. <span class="citation-270 citation-end-270">Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) said any measure making it harder to vote would be &#8220;dead on arrival in the Senate.&#8221; </span><span class="citation-269 citation-end-269">Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called Trump a &#8220;weak president grasping at straws,&#8221; and claimed that mail ballots do not help one party over another. </span><span class="citation-268 citation-end-268">However, data from the 2024 election shows that Democrats were significantly more likely than Republicans to vote by mail, with an 18-point split between the two parties. </span></p>
<h2><b>U.S. Deploys Warships to Confront Venezuelan Cartel</b></h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
<p><b><span class="citation-267">Topline:</span></b><span class="citation-267 citation-end-267"> The U.S. Navy has deployed three guided-missile destroyers to international waters off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s escalating military confrontation with Latin American drug cartels. </span></p>
<p><span class="citation-266 citation-end-266">The deployment includes three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, 4,000 sailors and Marines, P-8 spy planes, and at least one attack submarine. </span><span class="citation-265 citation-end-265">The move is a direct challenge to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. has indicted and designated as the head of a &#8220;narco terror cartel.&#8221; </span><span class="citation-264 citation-end-264">Maduro responded by threatening to deploy 4.5 million of his own militiamen. </span></p>
<p><span class="citation-263 citation-end-263">White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump &#8220;is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.&#8221; </span><span class="citation-262 citation-end-262">The U.S. currently has a $50 million bounty on Maduro. </span></p>
<p>The military action has a historical precedent. In 1989, former President George H.W. <span class="citation-261 citation-end-261">Bush sent 20,000 troops into Panama to arrest dictator Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges. </span><span class="citation-260 citation-end-260">That invasion was justified by a legal memo asserting the president&#8217;s authority to arrest fugitives in other countries. </span></p>
<h2><b>White House Touts Wins on Peace, Crime, and Economy</b></h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962613" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
<p><b><span class="citation-259">Topline:</span></b><span class="citation-259 citation-end-259"> The Trump administration is touting a series of major victories on foreign and domestic policy, including significant progress toward a peace deal in Ukraine, a dramatic drop in D.C. crime, and a record-high stock market. </span></p>
<p><span class="citation-258 citation-end-258">Following his summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump is pushing for a trilateral meeting with the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to finalize a peace deal immediately. </span><span class="citation-257 citation-end-257">European leaders, who had previously been critical of Trump, are now expressing optimism about his approach after he secured a major concession from Putin on a U.S.-backed security guarantee for Ukraine. </span></p>
<p><span class="citation-256 citation-end-256">At home, the federal takeover of the D.C. police is yielding dramatic results. </span><span class="citation-255 citation-end-255">The D.C. Police Union reports that in the last seven days, carjackings are down 83%, robberies are down 46%, and violent crime is down 22%. </span><span class="citation-254 citation-end-254">Attorney General Pam Bondi says nearly 500 arrests have been made since the crackdown began. </span></p>
<p>The economic news is also positive. <span class="citation-253 citation-end-253">The DOW Jones Industrial Average touched an all-time high on Tuesday, defying predictions of a bear market. </span><span class="citation-252 citation-end-252">A new poll of economists shows that a majority now expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September, a move Trump has long advocated for that would likely boost the housing market. </span></p>

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Ep. 2737
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Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

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Morning Brief: Trump Vows To End ‘Corrupt’ Mail-In Voting, Moves Ships To Venezuela To Fight Cartels