Good morning—it’s Friday, August 22, 2025. Here’s what’s driving the day: The Trump administration gutted ODNI, slashing its budget and scrapping the foreign influence center. A powerful US amphibious task force closed in on Venezuela as Washington ramps up pressure on Maduro. Four soldiers face charges in a barracks sexual assault at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In Gaza, Israel threatened to level Gaza City if Hamas resists the ceasefire terms. Meanwhile, the EU rejected land concessions to Russia as Ukraine struck a major oil pipeline. A report exposed North Korea’s secret ICBM base near China, South Korea’s president braces for a summit with Trump, and Australia deepened defense ties with the Philippines amid rising South China Sea tensions.

—Trump Administration Slashes ODNI Budget, Work

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