Good evening everyone! Today was a very busy news day. Please consider supporting my work to allow me to continue doing this full-time by clicking the button below (on your computer) and becoming a paid subscriber today.

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Now, let’s get to the news:

  • The Trump administration took down a federal memorial that honored victims of gun violence. This included 120 portraits of Americans who were killed, such as children and police officers.
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  • When asked if he was threatening to revoke CBS's license, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said it wasn’t a threat, but rather a possible penalty allowed under the Communications Act. It is simply the greatest threat to media since the start of the second Trump Administration.
  • Speaker Johnson responded to Trump’s comment about kids possibly getting fewer toys due to the trade war by saying that shaking up the system was necessary to bring about the right outcomes. He believes the short-term impact is worth it to achieve long-term goals.
  • The Trump administration announced it will offer $1,000 to undocumented immigrants who agree to leave the U.S. voluntarily.
  • States led by Democrats are filing lawsuits to stop the Trump administration from weakening health agencies.
  • A hacker has breached TeleMessage, a little-known Israeli company that modifies messaging apps like Signal for U.S. government use, gaining access to government communications and data. While messages from cabinet members—including Mike Waltz—were not compromised, the breach exposes that archived chat logs are not end-to-end encrypted between the modified app and the customer-controlled archive.
  • Israel has approved plans to take control of the Gaza Strip and remain there indefinitely.
  • Some veterans are raising doubts about Rep. Cory Mills’ (R-FL) claim that he earned a Bronze Star for rescuing them, with at least one saying, “He didn’t save my life.” The report, published by NOTUS, adds to growing questions about the accuracy of Mills' military record and the story behind his award.
  • Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, potentially clearing the way for Marjorie Taylor Greene to enter the race.
  • ProPublica has been awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its investigative series "Life of the Mother," which exposed how abortion bans in several U.S. states have led to preventable deaths of pregnant women. The reporting highlighted cases where doctors, fearing legal repercussions, delayed or denied urgent medical care, resulting in fatal outcomes.
  • Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, resigned from The Washington Post in January 2025 after the newspaper declined to publish one of her cartoons. The illustration depicted prominent media and tech figures, including Post owner Jeff Bezos, kneeling before then-President-elect Donald Trump. Telnaes stated that this was the first time her work was rejected due to its viewpoint, calling the decision "dangerous for a free press."
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to reduce the number of senior generals and admirals by 20%, aiming to streamline military leadership and eliminate redundancies.
  • Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said today that reopening Alcatraz as a detention facility “should be on the table,” backing Trump’s proposal to use the historic island prison for holding dangerous offenders. Homan called it a possible option for dealing with public safety and national security threats, though he admitted he had “no idea” how much it would cost.
  • Donald Trump claimed he didn’t know where an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope came from, despite having posted it on Truth Social. He told reporters in the Oval Office that “somebody made it up” and insisted he had “no idea” about its origin, though he admitted seeing it the night before and said his wife found it “cute.” Just days earlier, Trump joked about wanting to be pope, and the image—which showed him in papal robes—was not only posted to his platform but later reshared by the official White House X account.

    • See you in the morning.

    — Aaron