Trump Fundraises on his Desire to "Get to Heaven" and Trump Cuts Pediatric Brain Cancer Research Funding
Trump fundraises on "getting to Heaven" while his administration cuts $4M in funding for pediatric brain cancer research.
By Aaron Parnas•August 30, 2025•6 min read
Opinion & Commentary
Good evening and Happy Saturday. This evening I wanted to start off on a personal note. Many of you have reached out about concerns for me and my safety over the past 72 hours because of messages like this one from those on the far-right that want to shutdown this platform:
Here’s the deal. I knew that the moment I decided to become a journalist full-time, it would come with significant critique both from “traditional” media executives that want to see me fail and from figures that intentionally want to spread misinformation to protect powerful interests. I refuse to stop. This is the best job in the entire world, and even with the hate and the threats, I am going to keep going. I am going to keep demanding answers on the Epstein files. I am going to keep holding truth to power. And, I am doing it with you and your backing. That’s what is most important to me.
This fight isn’t backed by billionaires, corporations, or sprawling newsrooms—it’s powered by you. Every subscription is fuel for this investigation, proof that independent voices cannot be silenced. If you want the truth revealed, stand with us. Subscribe today, and help me keep pushing forward.
Subscribe
With that, here’s the news you missed today:
Donald Trump, 79, is fundraising off his stated push to “get to Heaven,” with his Super PAC sending emails tying donations to his spiritual aspirations and survival of last year’s assassination attempt; the appeals come amid speculation over his health, rumors of his death after a week out of public view, and his eventual reappearance playing golf, as allies brace for succession talk and critics mock his mortality-driven rhetoric.
Donald Trump did golf today after much speculation about his health, but he did not allow the press pool near him at his golf club:
Donald Trump raged on Truth Social after discovering a 25-yard-long gash in the limestone outside the White House, blaming “stupid people” from a subcontractor whose faulty cart damaged the Rose Garden stonework; he vowed to replace the stone, bill the contractor, and ban them from future work, while touting the completion of Rose Garden renovations and announcing plans for a $200M donor-funded White House State Ballroom with seating for 650 guests.
The Trump administration is advancing plans to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing a White House official; while the change may require congressional approval, officials are also exploring alternative methods to implement the rebranding of the government’s largest department.
Tensions between DNI Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe escalated after Gabbard disclosed the name of an undercover CIA officer while stripping 37 current and former officials of security clearances, a move reportedly made to regain Trump’s favor; the decision blindsided the CIA, effectively ended the analyst’s career, and drew criticism for jeopardizing covert operations, while critics warn the purge reflects a politicized, McCarthy-style crackdown on intelligence officials deemed disloyal to Trump.
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, a network of 16 hospitals conducting early phase clinical trials for children with high-risk brain cancers, is halting new enrollment after the National Cancer Institute said it will end $4M in annual funding by March 2026, raising fears of prematurely closed studies and lost access to novel treatments like CAR T-cell therapy and laser surgery; while ongoing patients will continue, experts warn the loss of this specialized group threatens progress and collaboration in pediatric brain cancer research.
As Congress reconvenes, Democrats led by Reps. Ro Khanna and Robert Garcia — with support from Republican Thomas Massie — plan to force a House vote demanding the DOJ release all Epstein files, intensifying pressure on Trump over his past ties to Epstein; meanwhile, the Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Epstein’s estate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and issued new demands for records, as former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta prepares to testify, ensuring the scandal remains a central and divisive issue in Washington.
Rep. Robert Garcia said Epstein’s estate will turn over a “birthday book” — reportedly containing a 2003 explicit message from Donald Trump — and other subpoenaed documents to the House Oversight Committee by Sept. 8, while many Epstein victims plan to meet lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The Trump administration, through acting USAGM head Kari Lake, is cutting over 500 jobs at Voice of America and related broadcasters despite a judge’s order blocking leadership removals, escalating legal battles over the future of U.S.-funded international media.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will sign an executive order directing city police and agencies not to collaborate with federal agents on immigration enforcement, resisting Trump’s planned crackdown that includes potential National Guard deployment and increased ICE operations, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker warns such moves amount to an “invasion” and could threaten future elections.
US attorney general Pam Bondi fired justice department paralegal Elizabeth Baxter for making a vulgar gesture and insulting national guard troops deployed in Washington DC under Trump’s federal takeover of the city’s policing; the dismissal, confirmed by DOJ officials, comes amid controversy over Trump’s military deployments despite crime in the capital being at a 30-year low.
A federal appeals court unanimously blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to end temporary protected status (TPS) for 600,000 Venezuelans, ruling that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lacked authority to undo Biden’s extension; while DHS condemned the decision as “activist” interference, judges emphasized that Congress intended TPS to provide stability insulated from politics, leaving uncertainty for the 350,000 whose protections expired in April and the remaining 250,000 set to lose status on 10 September.
Anthony Tata, Trump’s undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida alleging that astrologer Amy Tripp (“Starheal”) stalked, harassed, and threatened him and his wife after their affair ended, demanding $25,000 to keep quiet; the suit details hundreds of hostile messages and threats, while Tripp denies the allegations, and Tata—previously criticized for Islamophobic remarks and past scandals—has reportedly obtained a restraining order against her.
An Israeli airstrike in Sana’a killed Houthi prime minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, the most senior rebel official slain since US and Israeli strikes began, along with several ministers during a government meeting; the Houthis vowed revenge, warning foreign companies to leave Israel, while analysts said the targeted killing marked a major escalation threatening the rebels’ command structure amid their ongoing Red Sea shipping attacks and support for Palestinians in Gaza.
New York City declared the central Harlem legionnaires’ disease outbreak over after 114 cases, 90 hospitalizations, and seven deaths, with the bacteria traced to cooling towers at Harlem Hospital and a nearby construction site; Mayor Eric Adams and health officials vowed reforms, including stricter testing and inspection requirements, to prevent future clusters and protect residents.
