Good evening. Tonight, I’m tracking a wave of explosive developments. From Trump’s secret SEAL Team mission into North Korea that left civilians dead in a disastrous failure, to his unprecedented move to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, to the escalating risk of direct conflict with Venezuela—these are not minor stories. These are turning points.
Meanwhile, Trump insists the Justice Department has “done its job” on the Epstein files. But this afternoon, I spoke with Virginia Giuffre’s family, and they were clear: the job is far from done. I will never stop pushing for the Epstein victims—for the truth, the full truth, and nothing less. And yes, there are powerful people who would rather I stay silent.
The White House wants me to stop reporting on these stories. I won’t. My work is not bankrolled by billionaires or corporate interests—it’s fueled by readers like you who believe truth matters. Every subscription is a statement: that independent journalism will not be silenced, not compromised, and not afraid.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
A New York Times investigation revealed that in early 2019, President Trump personally approved a top-secret Navy SEAL Team 6 mission to infiltrate North Korea and plant an electronic device to intercept Kim Jong-un’s communications during nuclear talks.
The operation, carried out by SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron using mini-subs launched from a nuclear submarine, unraveled when the commandos encountered a small North Korean boat at the shore. Believing they had been detected, the SEALs opened fire, killing unarmed civilians thought to be shellfish divers, then aborted the mission and escaped without planting the device.
The Trump administration never informed key congressional oversight committees, potentially violating federal law, and later classified reviews concluded the civilian killings were justified under rules of engagement. The incident underscores both the extreme risks of such covert operations and SEAL Team 6’s uneven track record of high-profile successes alongside failed, overly complex missions.
Asked about reports of a 2019 SEAL Team mission to plant listening devices in North Korea, Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it.”
Trump said the Justice Department has “done its job” in releasing Jeffrey Epstein records and called for an end to demands for more transparency, even as bipartisan lawmakers argue most of the 100,000 files remain unreleased or heavily redacted.
ICE detained about 475 mostly South Korean workers in a major raid at Hyundai and LG’s $4.3bn EV battery plant under construction in Georgia, halting work, straining US–South Korea economic ties, and marking the largest single-site enforcement action in DHS history.
Donald Trump signed an executive order rebranding the Pentagon as the “Department of War,” reviving its pre-1947 name, while directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to seek congressional approval for a permanent change amid escalating military actions in the Caribbean.
An official said the cost of rebranding the Pentagon from the Department of Defense to the Department of War under Trump’s directive is still uncertain and will “fluctuate,” with a clearer estimate to come later.
Attorney General Kris Mayes from Arizona has announced that she plans to continue pursuing criminal charges against Trump allies related to the Arizona false electors scheme:
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status for over 1.1 million Venezuelans and Haitians, ruling that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority, thereby allowing hundreds of thousands to remain and work in the US.
Chicago’s popular El Grito festival, scheduled for Sept. 13–14, was postponed over fears of ICE raids and possible National Guard deployment, with organizers citing safety concerns amid Trump’s immigration crackdown and issuing refunds for all tickets.
Trump is deploying 10 F-35 stealth jets to Puerto Rico to step up operations against Caribbean drug cartels after a deadly US strike on a Venezuelan gang boat.
Trump warned Venezuela against flying jets over U.S. ships, telling a general that if they put American forces in a dangerous position, “they will be shot down.”
Trump criticized the EU’s $3.46bn antitrust fine on Google and threatened a broader trade probe against the bloc.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is claiming that Tylenol use during pregnancy may be linked to autism without presenting evidence, triggering a more than 10% plunge in Kenvue’s stock despite FDA and medical groups affirming the drug’s safety.
Georgia will become the eighth state to send National Guard troops to DC in support of Trump’s federal law enforcement operation, as the city sues the administration.
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent urged renewed scrutiny of the Federal Reserve’s powers as Trump pushes for more control over the central bank.
Vladimir Putin warned that any Western troops in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets” for Russian strikes, as Trump’s peace efforts stall.
The US economy added just 22,000 jobs in August, underscoring a slowdown linked to Trump’s tariff policies.
The Trump administration is weighing new restrictions on foreign delegations for the upcoming UN General Assembly, including a proposal to bar Iranian diplomats from shopping at Costco and Sam’s Club without State Department approval, while also considering limits on Brazil, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Mortgage rates saw their biggest one-day drop in over a year, with the 30-year fixed falling to 6.29% after a weak August jobs report, easing costs for homebuyers and boosting homebuilder stocks.
US veterans condemned the arrest of ex-army sergeant Bajun Mavalwalla, an advocate for Afghan allies, who now faces up to six years in prison on federal conspiracy charges after an ICE protest, calling it a dangerous criminalization of dissent.
Tesla unveiled a record-breaking incentive plan that could grant Elon Musk a $1tn pay package if he raises the company’s value from $1tn to $8.5tn over 10 years, potentially making him the world’s first trillionaire.
Endico Potatoes Inc. has issued a recall for 2.5-lb clear plastic bags of frozen vegetables—specifically “Peas & Carrots” (Lot 110625) and “Mixed Vegetables” (Lot 170625)—distributed between July 18 and August 4, 2025, across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
In the final stretch of Virginia’s governor’s race, GOP candidate Winsome Earle-Sears is resurfacing anti-trans attacks against Democrat Abigail Spanberger, betting the culture-war issue will energize conservatives despite Spanberger’s counter-message focusing on safety, affordability, and law enforcement.
Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit from authors who said their books were pirated to train its AI Claude, marking the largest publicly reported copyright recovery in history and the first major settlement in a wave of AI copyright cases.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
