Where’s the Beef (From)?

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Sept. 4, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump signed an executive order today requiring country-of-origin labeling for beef. Ranchers and farm groups have been upset with the administration’s increase of lower-tariff beef imports, saying the plan undermines American producers.

• “Ranchers and farmers have always been a number one priority to me,” Trump said in the Oval Office, adding: “They are very clean people. They’re immaculately clean.”

• The president also said he has “close to” $1 billion in outside money, a higher figure than the $400 million cash on hand super PAC MAGA Inc. reported in a July disclosure. He will allocate “probably four or 500 million” for the midterms, he added.

John Fetterman’s Democratic peers are criticizing him after a cutting Wall Street Journal article detailed the Pennsylvania senator shirking his committee duties and dodging face time with constituents.

• A former senior aide told NOTUS’ Igor Bobic that Fetterman was uninterested in the typical day-to-day responsibilities of the job, preferring instead to scroll on his phone, reading X and Apple News for mentions of his name.
• A group of former Fetterman staffers “who are disgusted with what he’s become” created an X account today to share stories about the senator. NOTUS verified the authenticity of the account’s ownership.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” workplace and repeatedly violated department policy, according to a new watchdog report.

The Trump administration is making it harder to hold builders who violate accessibility requirements accountable.

An ICE officer falsely told investigators he was being attacked with a broom and shovel before he shot a Venezuelan man during last winter’s Minnesota immigration crackdown, according to a federal indictment unsealed today.

Trump will take the Qatari-gifted plane on his trip to Ireland next week in the aircraft’s first overseas trip since July’s security scare in Turkey. The president said today that the plane will be taken out of commission in October for around 60 days to be “maxed out.”

THE STATES

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears to have significantly violated federal ethics law when filing recent disclosures, creating confusion about his net worth and holdings, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune report.

A former Christian reality show host was arrested in Los Angeles this week on federal charges of making threats to kill the president.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell is the subject of an internal investigation by Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s office for alleged inappropriate behavior with women, the New Jersey Globe reports.

How Thursday night’s surprise storms in D.C. grew so violent — and produced nonstop lightning, Capital Weather explains.

A former RNC chair and two-term Montana governor is backing Democrat Sam Forstag in a high-profile crossover endorsement as he tries to flip a Republican-held U.S. House seat.

THE HILL

Sen. Jon Ossoff called for the Senate Leadership Fund to take down an ad that shows him having his hair and makeup professionally done, a reference to items in Ossoff’s past campaign disclosures.

• “Congressman [Mike] Collins, of course, himself has deceptively used deepfake videos to try to lie to voters,” the Georgia Democrat said of his opponent.

AVOID THE PLAZA

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.