Good evening, everyone. This is a major and wide-ranging update, so please read to the end. Big developments tonight: the first companies have now sued the Trump administration to recover tariff revenue they paid under tariffs ruled unconstitutional, key U.S. allies have frozen trade deals with Trump, an ICE whistleblower has come forward alleging constitutional violations inside the agency, major new Epstein documents have surfaced, and much more.
This evening, I spoke with Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources and a lead plaintiff in Learning Resources v. Donald Trump. He sued Trump and won in the Supreme Court in the tariffs case. It is an interview you will not want to miss.
I was also informed today that an individual named Frank Pinon purchased my website domain, redirected it to Donald Trump’s site, and has been pressuring me to pay him for it. My answer is simple: absolutely not. I will not be intimidated or extorted by anyone connected to this White House, no matter the harassment.
Here’s the news:
- FedEx sued the Trump administration seeking a full refund of tariffs it paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Donald Trump exceeded his authority in imposing the sweeping duties, arguing it suffered financial injury from the now-overturned tariffs.
- The European Parliament halted ratification of a sweeping U.S.–E.U. trade deal after the Supreme Court struck down most of Donald Trump’s tariffs, citing uncertainty over U.S. policy as Trump threatened higher tariffs on countries that “play games,” triggering market declines in the U.S. and Europe and further straining transatlantic trade relations.
- A newly uncovered 2015 Drug Enforcement Administration memo by CBS in the Justice Department’s Epstein files reveals that Jeffrey Epstein was the target of a years-long drug trafficking investigation beginning in 2010, probing roughly $50 million in suspicious wire transfers and potential links to illicit narcotics and prostitution, alongside multiple related FBI and ICE investigations, though many details and names remain heavily redacted.
- Speculation is growing that Samuel Alito may retire at the end of the Supreme Court’s current term, fueled by the October 6 release of his upcoming book and favorable political timing that could allow Donald Trump to appoint a fourth justice and solidify a long-term conservative majority, while also reviving comparisons to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and prompting renewed calls for Supreme Court reform.
- NBC News has confirmed that Jeanine Pirro’s office has shelved its effort to prosecute six Democratic lawmakers after a federal grand jury in Washington unanimously declined to indict them over a social media video urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful orders, effectively ending the case amid criticism that the attempted charges were a politically motivated attack on protected speech.
- ICE whistleblower Ryan Schwank accused the agency of illegal actions, saying, “I watched ICE dismantle the training program… classes that teach the Constitution, our legal system, firearms training, the use of force, lawful arrests, proper detention, and the limits of officers authority. ICE is teaching cadets to violate the Constitution and they were attempting to cloak it in secrecy by demanding that I lie about it.”
- The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that the U.S. Department of Defense has received no orders to send a Navy hospital ship to Greenland despite claims by Donald Trump that one was “on its way,” with both the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy currently in maintenance and not deployed.
- Several House Democrats are bringing survivors of Jeffrey Epstein to President Trump’s State of the Union, including Rep. Ro Khanna’s guest Haley Robson and relatives of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, to spotlight alleged failures in prosecuting Epstein’s associates, criticize the Justice Department’s handling and redaction of released files under the Epstein Transparency Act, and publicly demand accountability for those connected to Epstein’s abuse.
- British police arrested former U.K. ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office after newly released Epstein files appeared to show him sharing sensitive political and market information with Jeffrey Epstein, allegations he denies, as the widening scandal triggers investigations and political fallout in Britain.
- Here is a statement from the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre in response:
- The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Peter Attia stepped down from his newly established role as a CBS News contributor after Epstein files released by the Justice Department revealed past email exchanges between him and Jeffrey Epstein, prompting scrutiny; Attia denied any criminal involvement, apologized for embarrassing messages, and said his resignation was to avoid distracting from the network’s work.
- Judge Aileen Cannon permanently barred the Justice Department from releasing former special counsel Jack Smith’s report on Donald Trump’s classified documents case, ruling that making it public after she dismissed the prosecution would violate the spirit of her order and undermine the presumption of innocence.
- President Donald Trump denied media reports that he is contemplating “limited” military strikes on Iran and rejected claims that his top general opposes any such action, while warning that if Tehran and Washington fail to reach a nuclear deal within his set timeframe, “it will be a very bad day for that country,” even as indirect negotiations and diplomatic efforts continue.
- According to The Guardian, Donald Trump is weighing potential airstrikes on Iran, with his decision expected to hinge on advice from envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff about whether Tehran is stalling on a nuclear deal, as the administration reviews military options, prepares for high-stakes talks in Geneva, and builds up U.S. forces in the Middle East amid warnings of possible Iranian retaliation.
- After Mexican forces killed cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes with U.S. intelligence support, violent retaliatory attacks erupted across Jalisco and other areas, leaving dozens dead, prompting the deployment of 2,500 additional troops, flight cancellations and stranded tourists, while U.S. officials urged Americans in affected regions to shelter in place even as Mexican authorities said order is gradually being restored.
A lot of you have reached out to me recently and asked me to protect myself, and well, I am. I am continuing to work and partner with a company called DeleteMe. The company has wiped my personal information off of the internet. They wanted to make sure that you too could be protected and use my 20% off promo code AARON at this link to scrub your information. I don’t work with many companies (honestly very few), but I’ve used DeleteMe, I can vouch for them, and I encourage you to check them out.
- The U.S. military carried out another lethal strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean, killing three people and bringing the death toll from the Trump administration’s ongoing strikes on suspected drug vessels to around 150, though evidence for the targets’ involvement in trafficking hasn’t been publicly shown.
- American Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu said she has attended protests supporting immigrants, noting her family’s refugee background from China and emphasizing her personal stake in the issue: “I definitely do really care about what our country is doing… There’s so many protests that are going that I have attended, and coming from a family of immigrants, I think immigrants deserve rights. I think it’s a little silly especially in America.”
- Judge Eric Tostrud found the Trump administration in civil contempt for transferring an ICE detainee to Texas in violation of his court order and then releasing him without his belongings in El Paso, ordering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reimburse the man $568 for the plane ticket he had to purchase to return home.
- In a new CNN interview, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Donald Trump to “stay on our side” as Ukraine marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, saying the U.S. must apply stronger pressure on Vladimir Putin, insisting security guarantees be approved before any peace deal, rejecting demands to withdraw from eastern territories, and defending his continued leadership under martial law while emphasizing Ukraine’s refusal to surrender territory despite war fatigue.
Good news:
- California’s largest independently owned moving company, Meathead Movers, has provided free relocation services to domestic violence survivors for 25 years and expanded its impact through the #MoveToEndDV coalition, which now includes eight moving companies across several states and has inspired more than 200 businesses to donate services such as storage, security and repairs; working in coordination with local shelters to ensure safety and support, the program completed over 100 free moves last year alone and has helped thousands of survivors rebuild their lives.
- After a vivid dream that he died of a heart attack while preparing to climb Ama Dablam, 63-year-old Jeremy Schwartz sought medical testing and was unexpectedly diagnosed with a dangerous aortic aneurysm, undergoing successful open-heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic’s London facility just days before his trip and later urging others not to ignore warning signs or delay medical care.
- An anonymous resident donated 21 kilograms of gold bars to the city of Osaka to help fund the replacement of its aging municipal water pipes, a gift worth about 560 million yen that will cover roughly 1.2 miles of needed upgrades, leaving Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama and city officials stunned and grateful as they work to address decades-old infrastructure that has caused dozens of leaks and sinkholes.
- A large randomized controlled trial in Singapore found that releasing captive-bred male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria reduced mosquito populations by 77% and cut dengue infections by about 71% over 20 months, providing the first robust evidence that the Wolbachia-based incompatible insect technique can significantly curb both the insects and the disease they spread.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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