Good morning everyone. We are tracking major developments on Capitol Hill. Donald Trump is now attempting a full rebrand, with his advisors insisting he will focus exclusively on “affordability” as we move toward 2026. He has begun using the term repeatedly in interviews and even claims it is a “new word.” At the same time, many Republicans are quietly backing away, recognizing that he is a lame-duck president. All of this is unfolding just as the United States is hit with some of the worst economic indicators since 2009.
We are entering an extraordinary period heading into 2026. The media landscape is shifting fast and Americans are turning toward new sources for real information. As we move into the next election cycle, I will travel the country, speak directly with candidates and voters, and bring you on-the-ground reporting that cuts through the noise. At a moment when the White House wants independent voices to stand down, I am committed to expanding my work and giving you the truth. Support my reporting today. Subscribe and let’s keep building.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
A top Trump adviser said the president will shift his political messaging toward affordability and cost of living after Democrats won major off-year elections by emphasizing economic concerns, noting that GOP candidates underperformed because they failed to address voters’ worries about rising prices as directly or effectively.
In a Fox News interview, Donald Trump blamed GOP election losses on what he called a “new word” — “affordability” — even though the term has been in use for more than a century, while making disputed claims about lowering energy costs and promising $2 gasoline despite U.S. consumers still struggling with high prices.
After major GOP election losses, congressional Republicans are increasingly signaling they may no longer follow Donald Trump’s demands—such as eliminating the filibuster—as lawmakers confront his approaching lame-duck status, growing frustration over the prolonged government shutdown, and fears that sticking closely to Trump’s agenda could further damage their 2026 prospects.
Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House and a central force behind major Democratic victories including the Affordable Care Act, announced she will not seek reelection in 2026, ending a historic 20-term career and marking the close of a Bay Area political era.
October saw 153,074 announced layoffs—up 183% from September and the highest for the month since 2003—as companies, especially in the tech sector, slashed jobs while restructuring around artificial intelligence. This spike, alongside over 1.1 million cuts so far this year, signals a labor market under increasing pressure despite pockets of continued job growth.
Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva has been left waiting an unprecedented 44 days to be sworn into Congress despite winning her Arizona special election by 40 points, as Speaker Mike Johnson continues to delay her seating for unclear reasons, prompting accusations of political obstruction, a lawsuit from Arizona, and claims he is trying to block her from becoming the crucial 218th signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.
After sweeping Democratic election wins and the passage of California’s Prop 50, Democrats are intensifying pressure on blue states to redraw congressional maps ahead of 2026, while internal divisions, structural barriers, and competing redistricting pushes in GOP-led states create a growing nationwide battle over mid-cycle gerrymandering.
With the government shutdown straining air traffic control staffing and causing widespread fatigue, the FAA will begin cutting flight capacity by up to 10% across 40 major markets starting this week — a move aimed at easing mounting delays but one that underscores how unpaid controllers, staffing shortages, and operational pressure are pushing the aviation system toward deeper disruption.
Armed immigration agents in Los Angeles arrested a U.S.-citizen father in a Home Depot parking lot, then drove away in his car with his toddler still inside — a move that left the family traumatized, sparked outrage from advocates, and raised serious questions about why authorities separated the child instead of allowing relatives to retrieve her on the scene.
New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani unveiled an all-female transition team featuring prominent progressive leaders — including former FTC chair Lina Khan and former Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer — signaling an aggressive reform agenda as he prepares to take office on 1 January.
A 19-year-old tourist was arrested after allegedly throwing water on two historic paintings and tearing tapestries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, causing around $1,000 in repairable damage and leaving investigators puzzled over his motive.
Fire crews battled a large blaze at a Miami-Dade property registered to Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, where two structures were found fully engulfed early Thursday; no injuries were reported as firefighters shifted to a defensive response after a partial collapse.
A Miss Universe Thailand executive publicly berated Miss Universe Mexico contestant Fatima Bosch during a livestreamed event, prompting Bosch to walk out and dozens of contestants to follow, sparking global backlash and forcing pageant leadership to condemn his behavior as disrespectful and contrary to the organization’s values.
Good news:
An English woman who spent decades searching for her biological father finally located him after placing a small ad in a local newspaper, which led to an emotional reunion more than 40 years later and the unexpected revelation that he had fathered 12 children, giving her 11 previously unknown siblings spread across multiple countries with whom she is now building relationships.
A polar bear named Henry at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat in Ontario delighted staff and viewers after cautiously investigating and then joyfully devouring a donated 1,400-pound pumpkin, a surprise gift discovered by chance on a highway and delivered to the sanctuary, where the enormous treat left him happily stuffed and snoozing.
A long-missing 1906 painting by Danish artist Bertha Wegmann, stolen during World War II from what is now Wroclaw, Poland, resurfaced at a Danish auction after 70 years and was generously returned by the unsuspecting inheritors, allowing Poland to reclaim and prepare the artwork for display as part of its ongoing effort to recover thousands of looted cultural treasures.
Once the world’s rarest deer with only 39 surviving animals, China’s Père David’s deer has made a stunning comeback to more than 8,200 after being reintroduced in the 1980s from a British aristocrat’s private herd, and now roams multiple protected reserves as conservationists prepare for future releases into truly wild habitats.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
