Good afternoon, everyone. Today I am covering several major developments, including a 24-year Marine colonel resigning from the military in protest of Donald Trump, the indictment of another Trump opponent, his former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and a major reversal at the White House after my exclusive reporting forced them to abandon plans to shut down California’s I-5 this weekend for a so-called “Vanity Military Parade.”
Between the administration targeting its political rivals and our reporting driving national headlines, it has been a relentless day. But I can only do this because of you. They have threatened to come after me next, and maybe they will now that they have indicted Bolton. But we are not backing down. Not now. Not ever.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
Marine Colonel Doug Krugman resigned after 24 years in the US Marine Corps, citing Donald Trump’s contempt for the Constitution and the erosion of democratic norms. His resignation coincided with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s partisan speeches to military leaders. In a Washington Post op-ed, Krugman said he could no longer serve under a president who “tests how far he can ignore” constitutional limits, referencing Trump’s use of emergency powers, the federal deployment of National Guard troops without state requests, and labeling cities like Portland as “war zones.”
He also condemned Trump’s 2025 pardons of January 6 insurrectionists and refusal to grant asylum to Afghan allies, calling such actions immoral. Krugman urged fellow service members to question illegal or unethical orders and warned that without reforms to clarify presidential power, future administrations could push the US toward governmental collapse.
Federal prosecutors have indicted former national security adviser John Bolton for alleged mishandling of classified information, amid growing concerns that Donald Trump’s Justice Department is targeting his political opponents as part of a broader vendetta.
ProPublica found 170+ U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents in the first nine months of Trump’s second term—often dragged, tased or held incommunicado for over a day—with most cases tied to broad sweeps (frequently targeting Latinos), many charges later dropped, scant government tracking, and DHS denying profiling despite mounting allegations and curtailed oversight.
After my exclusive reporting, the White House has backed off plans to close I-5 in California this weekend. Governor Gavin Newsom again confirmed our reporting that they were planning on shutting down I-5 for this vanity military parade.
A federal judge in Chicago ordered immigration officers to wear body cameras after witnessing tear gas and aggressive tactics used against protesters during Trump’s immigration crackdown, citing concerns over compliance with previous court limits on force and transparency amid ongoing mass arrests under “Operation Midway Blitz.”
According to the Guardian, queer and trans immigrants detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center accused staff of forced labor, sexual assault, and retaliation, alleging a pattern of abuse under assistant warden Manuel Reyes that advocacy groups say reflects worsening conditions and eroded protections for LGBTQ+ detainees under the Trump administration.
Donald Trump said he had a “good and productive” two-hour call with Vladimir Putin and plans to meet him in Budapest to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming progress was made and linking potential peace talks to his administration’s recent actions in the Middle East.
Donald Trump warned on Truth Social that if Hamas continues killing people in Gaza the US “will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” marking his clearest threat yet amid reports of Hamas executions and his earlier mixed comments about the group; he also said they must disarm, but offered no specifics on how such force would be carried out.
Senate Democrats blocked debate on a bipartisan defense spending bill amid a prolonged government shutdown, citing the need to address broader funding measures like health and housing, as partisan tensions and distrust over the budget process continued to escalate.
Two Trinidadian men, Rishi Samaroo and Chad “Charpo” Joseph, were identified among six people reportedly killed in a US airstrike on a boat near Venezuela that Donald Trump claimed was carrying drugs, sparking outrage from families and regional leaders who condemned the attack as unlawful and dangerous amid escalating US military activity in the Caribbean.
The University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and MIT have rejected a Trump administration proposal offering expanded federal funding in exchange for sweeping ideological and policy changes, including banning consideration of sex and ethnicity in admissions, capping international enrollment, and assessing faculty viewpoints, citing threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy as other schools weigh the politically charged compact.
Mitch McConnell fell today while walking through the Capitol Building.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Human Services announced that November 2025 SNAP benefits will be suspended due to the ongoing federal shutdown, as the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service lacks funds to process payments, leaving thousands without food assistance until Congress restores appropriations.
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Israel and Hamas exchanged accusations of ceasefire violations amid stalled aid deliveries and disputes over returning hostages’ remains, as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepened and both sides warned the fragile truce could collapse despite ongoing US- and UN-backed mediation.
Israeli authorities extended without charge the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the Gaza hospital director held since December 2024, dashing hopes for his release under a recent ceasefire deal; his family and rights groups say he’s an innocent physician targeted for treating civilians, while Israel alleges Hamas ties but has offered no evidence.
Alaska launched one of its largest-ever airlifts after the remnants of Typhoon Halong devastated two southwest coastal villages, displacing over 1,500 people, killing at least one, and highlighting the impact of Trump-era cuts to federal disaster preparedness grants for Indigenous communities.
Illinois governor JB Pritzker disclosed winning $1.4 million playing blackjack in Las Vegas last year and said he will donate the winnings to charity; the billionaire Democrat, seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, emphasized his commitment to Illinois and criticized Donald Trump amid speculation about his political future.
As the U.S.–China lunar race intensifies, NASA’s hopes hinge on SpaceX’s delayed Starship program, which must overcome repeated test failures and unproven in-space refueling technology to meet a 2027 moon-landing goal, even as China targets its own crewed lunar mission by 2030 and NASA faces deep staff and budget cuts amid the federal shutdown.
Good news:
Suriname, one of the world’s most forested nations, has announced a landmark plan to legally protect 90% of its rainforest—over 25 million acres—as part of a new national commitment to conservation and sustainable development ahead of the upcoming UN climate summit.
A team of female Turkish archaeologists has discovered evidence of a lost Ice Age land bridge between modern-day Turkey and Europe, uncovering 138 Paleolithic stone tools that suggest early humans may have entered Europe through the Ayvalık region, potentially rewriting part of human migration history.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have created the “MycoToilet,” a waterless, mushroom-powered composting toilet that eliminates 90% of odors while turning human waste into over 2,000 liters of fertilizer and soil annually, offering a sustainable and circular alternative to traditional sanitation systems.
The Nature Conservancy has purchased four major dams on Maine’s lower Kennebec River for $138 million and plans to remove them to restore hundreds of miles of salmon, herring, and sturgeon habitat, marking one of the largest river restoration projects in the U.S. and aiming to revive endangered Atlantic salmon populations for the first time in a century.
