Good morning everyone. I hope your Friday is off to a strong start. The big headline today is that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has won the Nobel Peace Prize, and those inside the White House are reportedly far from calm about it.

On a personal note, today marks World Mental Health Day, and tonight I’ll be opening up about my own journey, something many of you have asked for. It’s deeply personal, but I believe it’s important to share, especially amid the relentless chaos of today’s news cycle. If it helps even one person find clarity or strength, it’s worth it.

In the meantime, the attacks from Trump’s inner circle have intensified over the past 48 hours, aggressive and unrelenting. Why? Because they fear the truth and the platforms that expose it. Fortunately, I answer to you, not to them.

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With that, here’s what you missed:

  • Despite significant public pressure and campaigning, Donald Trump was not chosen by the Nobel Committee to win the Peace prize this year.
  • Instead, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, aged 58, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering fight to preserve democracy under President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime. Once expelled from office in 2014 and later banned from running for president, Machado now lives in hiding amid serious threats to her life.
  • The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised her for “keeping the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness” and honoring her courage to speak out despite grave risks.
  • Following the award to Machado, those around Donald Trump have become very upset, with the White House blasting the Nobel Committee in the process. Steven Cheung, the White House Communications Director, issued the following statement this morning: “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will. The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”
  • Meanwhile, MAGA influencers and Donald Trump’s top defenders online decried the Nobel Prize decision as “affirmative action nonsense,” with Laura Loomer writing: “Imagine thinking a woman who cries nonstop about Nicolas Maduro has done more for the world than President Trump. What an absolute joke. Everyone knows President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. More affirmative action nonsense.”
  • CNN reports that senior Trump administration officials at the Department of Homeland Security proposed blocking Muslim organizations from receiving millions in FEMA security grants, raising internal alarm among agency leaders who warned the move could be discriminatory and illegal. Although the blanket ban was dropped, dozens of Muslim nonprofits were later stripped of eligibility after DHS and the Department of Government Efficiency cited alleged — and unsubstantiated — terrorism ties.
  • A federal judge in Chicago issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops in Illinois, ruling the move unconstitutional and accusing federal officials of using unreliable evidence to justify it. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised the decision, calling the deployment an abuse of power, while the White House vowed to appeal, arguing the president has lawful authority to restore order amid protests.
  • Today is World Mental Health Day, and as I noted above, this evening I am going to share my personal Mental Health journey. I also wanted to share with you that in recent months, I began working with Headspace, a company that has provided me a link, in honor of today, to give you all one month free on the platform in honor of making sure that you prioritize yourself because your mind matters. Headspace is a meditation app that has really given me the ability to disconnect, even for a few minutes a day, from the news cycle. Click here to try it out and let me know what you think!
  • A federal judge in Illinois issued a temporary restraining order restricting federal agents from using force or chemical weapons against ICE protesters, following viral footage of a Chicago pastor being shot in the face with pepper balls while praying outside a detention facility. The 14-day order bans DHS agents, including those with ICE and Customs and Border Protection, from firing tear gas, pepper balls, or forcibly dispersing peaceful demonstrators and journalists, except when there is a credible safety threat.
  • Nearly half of FBI agents in major U.S. field offices have been reassigned to assist with immigration enforcement, according to data obtained by Sen. Mark Warner, marking a dramatic shift in priorities under the Trump administration. About 45% of agents in the 25 largest offices—and 23% nationwide—are now supporting DHS and ICE operations, diverting resources from counterterrorism, cybercrime, espionage, and violent crime investigations.
  • NBC News found that several OpenAI models, including versions used in ChatGPT, can be “jailbroken” to bypass safety systems and generate instructions for creating biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, raising major security concerns about AI misuse. While the flagship GPT-5 model resisted these prompts, smaller or open-source models were vulnerable in up to 97% of tests, prompting renewed calls for independent regulation of AI safety.
  • JP Morgan Chase has mandated employees at its new $3 billion New York headquarters to provide biometric data—such as fingerprints or eye scans—for building access, reversing its earlier plan to make participation voluntary. The move, intended to enhance security following recent corporate attacks, affects up to 10,000 workers and has raised privacy concerns amid broader debates over workplace surveillance. Some exemptions remain, and other offices will continue to offer voluntary biometric enrollment.
  • Dozens of U.S. professors have been fired, suspended, or disciplined for social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with at least 40 dismissals reported by the American Association of University Professors. Many academics say they are being targeted by right-wing activists and pressured university administrations, creating a “climate of fear” and threatening academic freedom. Lawsuits have been filed in several states, including by faculty at Florida Atlantic University, Ball State University, and the University of South Dakota, alleging violations of free speech and due process.
  • The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the Gaza ceasefire agreement has officially taken effect, with troops repositioning along newly agreed deployment lines and maintaining operations only to address immediate threats. The IDF currently controls about 53% of the Gaza Strip, mostly outside urban areas.
  • Under the agreement, Hamas has 72 hours to release all hostages, marking a critical step in the ceasefire process announced on October 9.
  • Gaza’s Government Media Office issued a national appeal urging residents to cooperate with humanitarian and governmental agencies to ensure the success of the recovery phase, emphasizing discipline and unity to restore stability after months of devastation.
  • Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 17 Palestinians killed and 71 injured in the last 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 67,211, according to figures deemed credible by the United Nations.
  • Six anti-abortion activists, including two pardoned by Donald Trump, are facing trial in Pennsylvania for trespassing and conspiracy after entering an abortion clinic, posing as patients, and refusing to leave. The case comes amid a rise in clinic invasions after the Trump administration limited enforcement of the FACE Act and pardoned past offenders, a move abortion rights advocates say has emboldened extremists.

    • See you this evening.

    — Aaron