Good afternoon, everyone. Tomorrow, I’ll be reporting live from Union Station in Washington, D.C., where we expect a major surge in National Guard presence. I will be pressing members of the Guard directly to find out whether they truly want to be stationed here, carrying out this mission at this critical moment.
At the same time, the White House has officially launched its TikTok account. Since that is now the most direct way to reach members of the digital and press team, I will be posting questions on every single video—demanding answers about the Jeffrey Epstein files. They may try to ignore it, but every person who sees those comments will be reminded of one thing first and foremost: the Epstein files.
Stay tuned—I’ll be bringing you the truth, straight from the ground.
If you believe in fearless, independent journalism that refuses to bend to political pressure, subscribe today. Let’s keep building something bigger together—and prove that real reporting doesn’t need permission from the White House or Big Tech.
Subscribe
With that, here’s what you missed today:
The Texas House, led by the Republican majority, is set to pass a new congressional map that would give the GOP five more US House seats in 2026, after rejecting numerous Democratic amendments.
Texas Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier abruptly left a DNC call after being warned she was committing a felony by participating from inside the state Capitol during the GOP-led redistricting vote; she has been sleeping inside the House in protest rather than agreeing to GOP-enforced custody rules, sparking outrage from fellow Democrats including Sen. Cory Booker, who called the move an attempt to silence a Black woman leader.
Former President Barack Obama endorsed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting proposal as a “responsible approach” to counter Texas Republicans’ partisan map-making, while stressing his long-term opposition to gerrymandering; speaking at a National Democratic Redistricting Committee fundraiser with Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, Obama said the temporary plan was a smart, measured response to GOP maneuvers and urged Texans to reject their state’s process, contrasting California’s voter-driven special election with Texas’ legislature-led effort.
Texas Democrats previously broke quorum for two weeks to protest the gerrymandered map, sparking a wider national redistricting battle; in California, Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly has strong voter support (22-point advantage) for his own effort to redraw maps in Democrats’ favor.
The Trump administration has launched a review of seven Smithsonian museums—including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of the American Latino, the National Museum of African Art, and the National Museum of Asian Art—claiming their exhibits focus excessively on oppression rather than American achievements, with examples flagged such as linking Benjamin Franklin’s scientific work to his enslavement of people, a George Floyd film, and Latino history displays about colonization, and has demanded “content corrections” within 30 days to remove what it calls “divisive” or “anti-American” narratives.
Vice-president JD Vance, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller met with soldiers at Union Station in Washington, DC, as part of a federal law enforcement surge, staging a photo op at Shake Shack where Vance declared they had brought “law and order back,” though the trio was booed as they departed.
The administration announced that 550 arrests have been made since the deployment of federal officers and agents in DC nearly two weeks ago, with six Republican-led states pledging to send over 1,200 additional National Guard troops.
A DC National Guard Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle crashed into a car on Capitol Hill early Wednesday, trapping the driver who had to be rescued with the jaws of life; the incident, involving a five-vehicle convoy and a police cruiser, is under investigation and comes amid Trump’s federal takeover of DC policing and the surge of National Guard deployments in the city.
DC Police and federal agents detained a man on the National Mall. He appeared to attempt escape but was quickly tackled by several agents. While being restrained, he screamed in Spanish: “Please, I’m not a criminal, I work here, I want to be with my family.”
Target CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down after 11 years amid slumping sales, customer backlash over its DEI retreat, and mounting competition; he will be replaced in February 2026 by longtime insider and COO Michael Fiddelke, as Target struggles with declining discretionary sales, tariff pressures, culture-war controversies, and investor criticism that its inward-looking leadership has lost touch with consumers.
In the Epstein case, US district judge Richard Berman denied the justice department’s request to unseal grand jury records from Epstein’s indictment, ruling that the transcripts are less significant than existing government documents and that disclosure could harm victims.
An internal memo from Governor Gavin Newsom’s longtime pollster, David Binder, shows growing voter support for Proposition 50, Newsom’s bid to redraw California’s congressional maps to counter Texas’ GOP-friendly redistricting; 57% of voters now back the measure (up from 51% in July), with Democrats overwhelmingly in favor (84%) and Republicans strongly opposed (79%), and support rising when the plan is framed as a temporary response to partisan actions in states like Texas while keeping the independent redistricting commission intact.
A federal judge in Texas blocked a state law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, ruling it violated First Amendment protections of church-state separation; the decision followed a lawsuit by parents and was hailed by the ACLU as ensuring schools remain inclusive spaces for students of all faiths.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Moscow must be included in any international talks on Ukraine’s security, dismissing European efforts as attempts to sway Trump; while Trump claims to be arranging a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting, the Kremlin has shown little intent to prepare, with analysts saying Putin would only agree if it resulted in Ukraine’s capitulation, as Russia continues to demand NATO renunciation, disarmament, and “denazification” while funding its war through higher taxes and spending cuts.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is pushing for ICE to purchase and operate its own fleet of deportation planes using funds from Trump’s $75B immigration enforcement budget, a move that could potentially double monthly deportations to 30–35,000 but cost billions in aircraft purchases and maintenance; ICE currently relies on chartered planes, but owning about 30 jets would give the agency greater control, though critics warn it would saddle ICE with steep staffing, compliance, and upkeep responsibilities.
President Donald Trump has purchased at least $103 million in corporate and municipal bonds since taking office in January, according to new ethics filings, an unprecedented move for a sitting president that allows him to profit directly from companies, banks, and local governments affected by his policies; the spree included nearly 700 bond purchases from entities like Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, and UnitedHealth, as well as municipal bonds tied to hospitals, airports, and schools, raising conflict-of-interest concerns given Trump’s sway over federal funding and monetary policy, even as officials insist the trades are managed independently.
Israel began the first stage of its planned assault on Gaza City, calling up 60,000 reservists and extending service for 20,000 more, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ordering timetables shortened to seize Hamas strongholds; the move comes despite mounting protests in Israel, global condemnation, and a proposed Trump-backed 60-day ceasefire deal from Arab mediators, as rights groups warn mass civilian displacement will worsen Gaza’s starvation crisis, where over 62,000 people have already been killed since the war began.
The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on four International Criminal Court officials—two judges and two prosecutors—for pursuing cases against Americans and Israelis, freezing their US assets in what the ICC and UN condemned as a “flagrant attack” on judicial independence; Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move as protecting US sovereignty and Israel, while France, the ICC, and human rights groups denounced it as intimidation undermining international justice.
India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile from Odisha, validating all technical parameters; the weapon can reach deep into China and is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s defense strategy against both China and Pakistan, amid tense regional rivalries, upcoming Modi–Xi talks, and strained US-India ties over Russian oil and Trump’s tariff threats.
Japanese American groups are condemning the opening of a massive new ICE detention center at Fort Bliss in El Paso, a site that once served as a World War II internment camp for people of Japanese, German, and Italian descent. The $1.2 billion facility, which could hold up to 5,000 detainees, is now the largest federal detention center in U.S. history.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
