Good morning, everyone. Donald Trump is now openly talking about serving an unconstitutional third term in office, and he is not ruling out running for it. I have warned for years that we cannot shrug or laugh when Trump or his allies float these ideas. This is why. He is no longer hinting; he is explaining how he would do it.
This comes as CNN’s chief reportedly met with White House officials and agreed to “soften” coverage of Trump’s controversial White House East Wing teardown.
Mainstream media is collapsing under political pressure while Trump makes statements that any other president would be condemned for. Independent journalism is the last line of defense, and it is working. We are reaching more people than CNN and others, but I can only keep breaking through the noise with your support.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
President Trump refused to rule out seeking a third presidential term despite the 22nd Amendment’s two-term limit, saying “I would love to do it” and boasting of record poll numbers, while acknowledging he hasn’t considered any legal fight over eligibility; he also praised potential 2028 GOP successors like Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump claimed he could legally serve a third term by running as vice president, but said he wouldn’t do it because it would be “too cute” and “the people wouldn’t like that.”
President Donald Trump confirmed he underwent an MRI during a recent visit to Walter Reed Medical Center — his second medical exam this year — saying the results were “perfect,” though he declined to explain why the scan was done; the White House previously disclosed he was treated for chronic venous insufficiency, a vein condition causing leg swelling, and his physician attributed visible hand bruising to frequent handshakes and aspirin use.
According to new reporting from Natalie Korach, CNN chief Mark Thompson reportedly met privately with President Trump at the White House—officially to discuss CNN’s new streaming platform—but the timing raised concerns after he later urged staff to “ease up” on coverage of Trump’s East Wing demolition; insiders suspect the meeting may have influenced the guidance, amid speculation over Warner Bros. Discovery’s potential sale and fears of Trump’s growing leverage over media companies as CNN’s future and Thompson’s leadership remain uncertain.
Sen. Rand Paul broke with fellow Republicans by condemning Trump’s airstrikes off Venezuela as “extrajudicial killings,” arguing that Congress received no evidence or authorization for the attacks, which have killed about 40 people accused of drug trafficking; Paul compared the strikes to executions by China and Iran, co-sponsored a failed war powers resolution to block Trump’s actions, and warned the administration was acting outside legal limits.
Trump mocked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as “low IQ,” boasting about the cognitive tests he took at Walter Reed and suggesting she “try to pass” them, saying the first questions were simple ones like identifying “a tiger, an elephant, a giraffe.”
Trump said the U.S. profited from Argentina’s recent election because “the bonds have gone up,” adding that the election “made a lot of money for the U.S.” and that his administration would consider providing further support if Argentina needs it.
Trump criticized Canada as “one of the most difficult countries to deal with,” accusing it of running a “fake ad” against him, saying officials apologized and agreed to remove it but let it air “for another two nights” before taking it down.
The CDC’s vaccine advisory system has collapsed after layoffs of all ACIP support staff and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s replacement of independent vaccine advisers with anti-vaccine activists, leaving U.S. immunization guidance and childhood vaccine programs in jeopardy for 2026.
Hurricane Melissa has intensified into a Category 5 storm, threatening Jamaica with catastrophic flooding, landslides, and 160 mph winds—the strongest storm to hit the region since 1988’s Hurricane Gilbert; forecasters warn of up to 40 inches of rain in some areas, widespread infrastructure damage, and dangerous storm surges, with shelters across Jamaica filling as residents brace for landfall early Tuesday.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing over 820,000 federal workers, called for an immediate end to the government shutdown by passing a “clean continuing resolution,” urging Democrats to compromise with Republicans; the union criticized both parties for political brinkmanship as workers miss paychecks and line up at food banks, calling the situation a “national disgrace.”
Flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were temporarily halted Sunday due to an air traffic controller shortage caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown; the FAA cited widespread staffing gaps as unpaid controllers called in sick, leading to delays of up to 1 hour and 40 minutes and similar disruptions at Newark, Teterboro, and Southwest Florida airports.
After meeting with Trump in Malaysia, Brazilian President Lula da Silva expressed optimism about reaching a U.S.-Brazil trade deal, while Trump said both sides “had a great meeting” and might ease tariffs; the U.S. currently imposes a total 50% tariff on Brazilian goods due to Brazil’s prosecution of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, but Lula said Trump assured him an agreement was near and that Bolsonaro’s conviction “should not factor” into trade talks.
Argentina’s far-right president Javier Milei declared victory in the midterm elections, with his La Libertad Avanza party winning 40.8% of the vote—short of a congressional majority but stronger than expected—after Trump announced a $40 billion U.S. bailout tied to Milei’s success; Trump congratulated him, calling it a “landslide victory,” while critics denounced the aid as U.S. interference amid Argentina’s ongoing economic hardship and corruption scandals.
Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani rallied 13,000 supporters in Queens alongside Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, urging unity and progressive change ahead of the Nov. 4 New York City election; the event emphasized affordability, diversity, and taxing the rich, with Sanders framing the race as a battle against Trump-era billionaire influence and Mamdani declaring, “Our work has only just begun — on 4 November we set ourselves free.”
Experts say Trump administration cuts to federal weather and climate programs—including reduced weather balloon launches and dismantling of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—likely hindered forecasts and delayed warnings ahead of Typhoon Halong’s devastating impact in Alaska, which displaced hundreds; the federal disaster declaration came nearly a week late, amid broader criticism of Trump’s plan to “phase out” FEMA and rollback of climate resilience grants.
Houston officials are rejecting rumors of a serial killer after multiple bodies were found in the city’s bayous, saying the deaths show no pattern and are mostly drownings or undetermined causes, though rising fatalities and limited answers have fueled public fear and conspiracy theories.
See you this afternoon.
— Aaron
