Virginia Democrats Announce Surprise Efforts to Redistrict State
Virginia Democrats announce surprise efforts to redistrict state, Trump says land action in Venezuela is coming, Bannon says Trump will win a third term, White House East Wing completely destroyed
Good afternoon, everyone. We’ve got major developments to cover today. In a surprise move, Virginia Democrats are preparing to redraw the state’s congressional maps, aiming to pick up two to three new seats in Congress, a bold and unexpected power play. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon is openly declaring that Donald Trump will seek and win a third term in 2028, and the demolition of the White House East Wing is now complete, clearing the way for Trump’s controversial new ballroom project.
But perhaps most alarming, the Pentagon press corps is now being led by Alex Jones’ InfoWars and Mike Lindell’s media outlet. That is not journalism. That is misinformation central. And it is a direct reminder of why independent, fact-based reporting matters more than ever.
Virginia Democrats are preparing to redraw the state’s congressional maps to strengthen their party’s position before the 2026 midterm elections, joining the broader national redistricting fight after Republican-led efforts in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina. The move, confirmed by The States Project’s executive director Mandara Meyers, comes less than two weeks before Virginia’s gubernatorial and attorney general elections. If successful, this could net Democrats 2-3 more seats in Congress.
Steve Bannon declared that Donald Trump will seek and win a third term in 2028, arguing that the country “needs him,” during an interview with The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes and deputy editor Ed Carr in Washington, D.C.
The White House East Wing has been completely demolished to make way for President Donald Trump’s planned $300 million privately funded ballroom project, with historical elements preserved and debris removal now underway.
The White House released the full list of donors funding Donald Trump’s new ballroom project, which includes major corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Comcast, Meta, Lockheed Martin, Coinbase, and T-Mobile, along with wealthy individuals and foundations like Stephen Schwarzman, Kelly Loeffler, the Adelson Family Foundation, and the Winklevoss twins.
Karoline Leavitt refuses to say if Trump will pursue other White House demolition projects. Leavitt stated that the president’s top priority right now is the ballroom.
Donald Trump reversed plans to deploy federal troops to San Francisco after appeals from tech leaders including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as well as a call from Mayor Daniel Lurie, who argued that military involvement would hinder the city’s recovery. Trump cited local progress on crime reduction and said he would “give the city a chance,” though he warned federal intervention remains possible under the Insurrection Act.
Nancy Pelosi and San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins said local police could arrest federal immigration agents who break California law during expected Trump-ordered raids, arguing no one is above state law; legal experts note the idea faces major constitutional hurdles, as states generally can’t prosecute federal officers acting within their duties.
Breanna Morello of Infowars is joining Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s new Pentagon Press Corps, alongside other right-wing media figures and outlets like Tim Pool, Jack Posobiec, LindellTV, and Red State.
U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes reportedly told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that the mortgage fraud case against Sen. Adam Schiff lacks sufficient evidence to proceed, though DOJ official Ed Martin is pushing to keep the investigation open, according to multiple sources cited by MSNBC.
President Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who served a four-month sentence for money laundering violations, calling his prosecution part of the Biden administration’s “war on cryptocurrency.” The move, celebrated by Zhao and Binance, aligns with Trump’s pro-crypto stance and follows his recent outreach to the digital asset industry.
Fred Daibes, a New Jersey businessman convicted of bribing former Sen. Bob Menendez, paid $1 million to a lobbying firm led by Trump ally Keith Schiller in an attempt to secure a presidential pardon or sentence commutation from Donald Trump, according to multiple sources — part of a broader wave of clemency requests during Trump’s second term.
A Washington, D.C. man, Sam O’Hara, filed a lawsuit claiming his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated after he was arrested for following National Guard troops while playing The Imperial March from Star Wars to protest Trump’s military deployments; the ACLU-backed suit seeks damages for false arrest and constitutional violations.
President Donald Trump imposed major sanctions on Russia’s top oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, marking his first major economic action against Moscow in his second term and prompting fierce condemnation from the Kremlin. The move—aimed at pressuring Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine—was praised by Kyiv and European allies but dismissed by Russian officials as ineffective. Analysts say the sanctions’ impact depends on U.S. enforcement and whether Washington targets nations like China and India that continue buying Russian oil.
A new study found that Florida’s elkhorn and staghorn corals, vital reef builders for 10,000 years, are now “functionally extinct” after a 2023 marine heat wave killed nearly all colonies, highlighting the devastating impact of rising ocean temperatures on coral ecosystems.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the upcoming mayoral race after dropping out himself, pledging to campaign with him against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, who continues to lead the polls by double digits.
A federal grand jury indicted Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, for the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train, charging him with violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death — a count that carries the potential death penalty; the case has reignited debate over public safety and criminal justice in North Carolina.
