Good evening everyone. I was not planning to post again today, but news just broke that Trump announced military strikes on Nigeria, and several major developments unfolded that are worth your attention. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday if you celebrate, surrounded by the people you love. I spent the day eating Chinese food, watching Wicked 2 in the theater with my wife, and ending the night with board games among friends.
To everyone who has subscribed, thank you. Your support this season means more than I can say and truly is the greatest gift I could have received. If you have not yet subscribed, please consider doing so today so we can continue strengthening and building independent media together.
Here’s the news:
Donald Trump has announced that the United States military has conducted strikes in Nigeria against ISIS targets.
On Christmas Day, the president flooded Truth Social with over 100 posts attacking political opponents, repeating false claims about the 2020 election, targeting Democrats and immigrants, and promoting his economic and foreign-policy record, underscoring how partisan grievance overshadowed holiday messaging. This was his first message:
Here is his second message:
An unusually high number of House Republicans are leaving Congress to run for governor, citing frustration with gridlock, partisanship, and a “toxic” environment in Washington, and arguing they can more effectively advance policy goals as state executives than as lawmakers in a narrowly divided House. Congress officially had its most ineffective year since 1989.
The US Department of Justice said it needs several more weeks to process and redact over a million newly uncovered documents related to the Epstein case—missing a Dec. 19 deadline, drawing bipartisan pressure for transparency, and fueling controversy over partial releases that include disputed or false materials and new references to figures like Trump.
TikTok removed a swastika necklace from a seller’s shop after public outrage, saying the listing violated its hate-speech policies, though the seller’s store remains active and advocates warned the incident underscored ongoing harms from antisemitic symbols online.
In a Channel 4 “Alternative Christmas Message,” comedian Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trump’s second term as a boon for fascism, criticized attacks on the press and democratic institutions, and framed his recent suspension and return to TV as a warning about the dangers of silencing critics.
According to CNN, $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot—the second-largest in U.S. history—was won on Christmas Eve with a ticket sold at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, Arkansas, marking the first billion-dollar lottery win ever on Christmas.
In his first Christmas Eve as pope, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to show kindness to migrants, strangers, and the poor, saying that refusing to help those in need is equivalent to rejecting God and affirming the inherent dignity of every human person.
Heavy Christmas storms drenched Southern California with record rainfall, triggering flooding, mudslides, evacuations, rescues, power outages, and at least two deaths, while officials warned of continued flooding risks as more rain approached.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron