Evening Brief: Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Flag Burning, A Military Contractor in Germany Indicted for Offering Intel to China

· Guy D. McCardle

An American Flag flies on the back of an Avenger. (DVIDS)

Monday evening headlines for August 25, 2025.

 

Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Flag Burning, Directs DOJ to Prosecute

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute individuals who burn the American flag.

The order challenges the US Supreme Court’s 1989 decision that protects flag burning under the First Amendment as political expression.

While the order acknowledges the court’s ruling, it claims exceptions exist when flag burning incites imminent lawless action or qualifies as “fighting words.”

Trump stated the act “incites riots” and called the Supreme Court’s decision a “very sad” ruling.

The order calls for the attorney general to enforce criminal and civil penalties against flag desecration, including a mandatory one-year jail sentence without early release. It also allows the government to revoke visas, residency, or citizenship proceedings of foreign nationals who burn the flag, with possible deportation.

Trump argued that flag burning provokes violence and disorder, calling it a direct expression of hostility toward the United States.

 

Trump Admin Renews Deportation Push Against Salvadoran Man at Center of Immigration Fight

US immigration authorities re-detained Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Monday in Baltimore as the Trump administration renewed efforts to deport him.

Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old Salvadoran construction worker living in Maryland, had recently reunited with his family after a federal judge ruled that he was wrongfully deported in March despite a 2019 immigration order shielding him from removal to El Salvador.

His attorneys filed a lawsuit hours after his detention, triggering a temporary court order that paused deportation efforts for 48 hours. A Maryland federal judge later extended the order, citing his constitutional right to contest removal. The Department of Justice stated his deportation is not imminent.

Abrego Garcia had been wrongfully labeled an MS-13 member and deported to El Salvador, where he was jailed. The US Supreme Court ordered his return in June. He now faces human smuggling charges in Tennessee stemming from a 2022 traffic stop, which his legal team calls retaliatory.

The Trump administration seeks to deport him before trial, arguing he is a danger to the community. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed processing for deportation, while Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump he “will no longer terrorize our country.”

Federal officials have proposed deporting him to Uganda, raising concerns due to possible rights violations and language barriers. His lawyers also warned of the risk of further transfer to El Salvador, which violates court protections.

Abrego Garcia has instead proposed Costa Rica as a removal destination, citing offers of refugee status and safety assurances. He rejected a separate plea deal from federal prosecutors that tied his removal to Costa Rica with a guilty plea in the smuggling case.

 

Trump Envoy Pushes Ukraine Peace Effort as Russia Escalates Drone Strikes

Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg visited Kyiv Monday and said US officials are “working very, very hard” to advance peace efforts in the three-year Russia-Ukraine war.

Kellogg said talks are ongoing to establish security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent future Russian invasions, though progress remains limited.

Trump previously claimed he initiated arrangements for a summit between Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy, but Moscow signaled no such meeting is imminent. Trump said he will decide on next steps within two weeks if talks are not scheduled.

A series of high-level visits to Kyiv—including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil—highlighted the urgency of the US-led peace push.

Canada pledged 2 billion Canadian dollars ($1.5 billion), while Germany and Norway reiterated long-term support. Norway plans to spend $8.45 billion in 2025 to back Ukraine and announced a $695 million air defense package, including joint Patriot missile funding with Germany.

Meanwhile, Russian forces launched 104 strike and decoy drones across northern and eastern Ukraine overnight, as Ukrainian drones continue targeting Russian infrastructure, including oil refineries and airports.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 23 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions. Civilian air travel in Russia has seen repeated disruptions due to these attacks.

 

Ukraine Condemns Woody Allen for Speaking at Russian Film Festival

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned filmmaker Woody Allen for appearing virtually at the Moscow International Film Week, calling his participation “a disgrace and an insult” to victims of Russia’s invasion.

Allen addressed a Moscow theater via video on Sunday, discussing Russian cinema and expressing openness to future film projects in the country.

Ukrainian officials criticized Allen for engaging with an event that “brings together supporters and mouthpieces of Putin,” and accused him of ignoring Russia’s wartime atrocities against Ukrainian artists and civilians.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Allen denounced the invasion and criticized Vladimir Putin but defended artistic exchange, saying, “cutting off artistic conversations is never a good way to help.”

Russian state media aired Allen’s appearance, moderated by pro-Kremlin director Fyodor Bondarchuk. The festival also featured Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica, a vocal Putin supporter, and US actor Mark Dacascos.

Moscow International Film Week, launched in 2024, is separate from the older Moscow International Film Festival, which lost international accreditation in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

 

Three Dead, One Injured in Helicopter Crash During Flight Lesson on Isle of Wight

A Robinson R44 II helicopter crashed Monday morning during a flight lesson on the Isle of Wight, killing three people and seriously injuring one.

The aircraft, operated by Northumbria Helicopters, went down just before 9:30 a.m. local time with a pilot and three passengers aboard.

The lone survivor was airlifted to University Hospital Southampton with serious injuries. Witnesses reported the helicopter spiraling before crashing into a hedge.

The United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has dispatched a team to investigate.

The cause of the crash remains unknown.

 

US Military Contractor in Germany Indicted for Offering Intel to China

German prosecutors have indicted an American man, identified as Martin D., on espionage charges for allegedly offering sensitive US military information to Chinese intelligence.

Authorities arrested him in Frankfurt in November 2024.

Martin D. worked from 2017 to early 2023 for a US Defense Department contractor and was stationed at a US military facility in Germany from at least 2020. Prosecutors say he contacted Chinese authorities’ multiple times in summer 2024, expressing willingness to spy for them.

Reports indicate he did not succeed in transferring classified data before his arrest.

The state court in Koblenz will now determine whether to proceed with a trial.

 

Israel Signals Possible Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon if Hezbollah Disarms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel may begin a phased military withdrawal from southern Lebanon following Lebanon’s Cabinet decision to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025.

Netanyahu stated Israel will respond with reciprocal steps if Lebanon follows through.

Hezbollah, however, reiterated its refusal to disarm. The group’s secretary-general, Naim Kassem, warned that disarmament would only be considered after Israel withdraws from five strategic hills, stops airstrikes, releases Lebanese prisoners, and allows reconstruction to begin.

Kassem called the group’s weapons “our soul” and vowed to resist any forced disarmament.

The remarks follow diplomatic pressure from the US., with envoy Tom Barrack visiting both countries to reinforce the ceasefire and encourage implementation of the disarmament timeline.

The ceasefire, brokered by the US in November 2024, ended a 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that killed over 4,000 people and caused an estimated $11.1 billion in damage across Lebanon.

While Hezbollah has pulled most forces south of the Litani River, disagreements remain about whether the disarmament applies only to the south or nationwide. The US and Israel maintain that it applies across Lebanon, while Hezbollah insists it only covers areas south of the Litani.

The Israeli military continues to accuse Hezbollah of rebuilding positions in areas critical to northern Israel’s security, where 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the war.

 

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 10 in Yemen After Houthi Missile Attack

Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sana’a, killed 10 people and wounded 102 others on Sunday, according to Houthi-run health authorities.

The strikes hit a Houthi-controlled oil facility, a power plant, and a military site near the presidential palace. At least 21 of the wounded remain in critical condition.

The strikes came in response to a Houthi missile launched last week toward Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, which fragmented mid-air after interception attempts. It was the first cluster bomb missile launched by the Houthis at Israel since 2023.

The Houthis have consistently targeted Israel and Red Sea shipping since the war in Gaza began, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. In return, Israel and a US-led coalition have conducted repeated airstrikes on Houthi positions, including disabling Sana’a airport in May.

Despite a May agreement brokered by the Trump administration to halt airstrikes in exchange for an end to Houthi attacks on shipping, the rebels say the deal does not stop them from striking Israeli-aligned targets.

 

Libyan Coast Guard Fires on European Rescue Ship in Mediterranean, No Casualties Reported

Libya’s coast guard opened fire on the Ocean Viking, a humanitarian rescue vessel operated by SOS Mediterranee, during a mission in international waters on Sunday.

The ship, which had just rescued 87 migrants, including many from Sudan, was searching for a third migrant boat when a Libyan patrol vessel approached and fired for 15-20 minutes, damaging the ship but causing no injuries.

The incident occurred roughly 40 nautical miles off Libya’s coast. Crew members and rescued migrants sheltered in the ship’s safety room while the bridge crew remained under fire. SOS Mediterranee released images showing gunfire damage and men aiming weapons at the ship. The Libyan coast guard allegedly threatened over radio to kill everyone aboard if they didn’t leave.

The attacking patrol boat was an Italian-supplied vessel gifted in 2023 as part of European Union border management support.

The Libyan coast guard did not comment. Italy’s interior ministry also declined to respond, and the Italian coast guard gave no statement.

The Ocean Viking resumed its course to Italy with the rescued migrants. The fate of the third migrant boat remains unknown.

 

Sources: News Agencies