The Daily Herold: August 8, 2025 – Fair Banking, Rare Earths, Peace Deals & Political Probes

Jon Herold kicks off this Friday’s Daily Herold with a personal update before diving into a mix of policy moves, geopolitical shifts, and legal bombshells. He covers Trump’s new executive orders ensuring transparency in higher education admissions, halting wasteful federal grants, and guaranteeing fair banking for all Americans without political discrimination, tying in his own experiences with deplatforming. Jon examines the Department of Defense’s stake in MP Materials and the rare earths race, pondering Ukraine’s resources in a potential peace deal. Trump’s announcement of a historic peace summit between Armenia and Azerbaijan sparks discussion on its ties to broader global negotiations.

On the domestic front, Jon questions the Park Police leading a federal crime crackdown in D.C., unpacks a grand jury probe into Letitia James, and highlights a major appeals court rebuke of Judge Boasberg. Other topics include skepticism toward Project Veritas’ Bill Barr claims, the DOJ’s $50M bounty on Venezuela’s Maduro, Stephen Moran’s interim Federal Reserve appointment, and Israel’s planned Gaza City takeover. With trademark humor, live chat banter, and a few sidetracks, Jon keeps the commentary sharp, candid, and deeply connected to the Badlands community.