President Donald Trump is trying to bend the Federal Reserve to his will.

That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post.

I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Tuesday, August 26th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories.

Late yesterday, President Trump posted a letter to Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook

on social media. It said he would seek to fire her immediately. The Federal Reserve is the

Central Bank of the U.S. It raises and lowers interest rates to try and manage inflation.

It's set up to operate independently of the White House.

But for months, Trump has been pressing the bank's chair, Jerome Powell, to lower interest rates to boost the economy.

Trump's letter cited his authority to remove Fed

governors for cause. That means if there's been malfeasance or some form of dereliction of duty.

Trump is accusing Cook of mortgage fraud. Cook disputed that Trump has the authority to fire her

and said she wouldn't resign.

If Cook is replaced, it could hand Trump a likely majority of governors who support cuts to interest rates.

We are in brand new territory here.

No president has previously sought to oust a sitting-fed governor. And this is the latest

example of the Trump administration citing mortgage fraud to try and penalize, remove, or even jail

people that Trump disagrees with.

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending flag burning.

That's number two.

Yesterday, Trump signed a number of executive orders on law and order issues.

One was to end cashless bail across the country. Another pushed courts to reconsider the legality of burning the American flag. The flag order directs his

administration to prosecute people who, quote, desecrate the U.S. flag. He also wants to detain and remove immigrants

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