America Decoded (16–31 July 2025) presents a sweeping analysis of key political, economic, and geopolitical events in the United States during the latter half of July 2025. Domestically, the newsletter highlights President Trump’s aggressive legislative and executive actions, including a massive $9 billion spending cut that eliminates funding for NPR and PBS, sparking outrage from public broadcasters and civil society. It reports on an appellate court lifting protections for over 16,000 Afghan and Cameroonian nationals under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, triggering legal and humanitarian concerns. The document also covers Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and the White House’s launch of a sweeping AI policy aimed at boosting U.S. leadership and controlling AI-related exports. A deadly office shooting in Midtown Manhattan reignited debates on gun control, while a national poll showed Trump’s approval rating dropping to a term-low 40%, driven by economic concerns, trade tensions, and executive overreach. The Senate, meanwhile, approved a defense budget defying Trump’s stance by including nearly $1 billion in Ukraine and Baltic military aid.
Internationally, the newsletter chronicles how U.S. foreign aid cuts have crippled water and sanitation projects in 16 countries, exposing millions to health and safety risks. It outlines how Sri Lanka was hit with a steep 30% tariff under Trump’s “reciprocal trade” framework and discusses China’s controversial use of exit bans on U.S. citizens, prompting diplomatic and corporate backlash. The U.S. exited UNESCO again over ideological disagreements, while a landmark trade deal with Japan included major investments and tariff adjustments favoring U.S. exports. Additional developments include new U.S. sanctions targeting North Korea’s illicit financial networks, exploratory talks on accessing Myanmar’s rare-earth minerals, and President Trump’s mediation role in ending Cambodia-Thailand border clashes. The newsletter concludes with major announcements like a U.S.–EU trade pact involving hundreds of billions in energy and defense deals, ongoing U.S.–China tariff truce talks, bipartisan congressional bills targeting Chinese human rights abuses, and Trump’s July 31 announcement of sweeping global tariffs, up to 50%, on dozens of countries, triggering market volatility and fears of inflation, recession, and trade retaliation. The report offers a rich, concise narrative of a volatile two-week period in U.S. policy, underlining the interplay of domestic populism and assertive economic nationalism shaping America’s posture at home and abroad.
