Good afternoon everyone. I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying a calm and restorative first day of 2026.
There was no shortage of important news today. New concerns emerged about Donald Trump’s health, including his admission that he takes four times the standard aspirin dose because he wants his blood to be “thin.” At the same time, Democrats made history across the country, with groundbreaking days in New York City, Albany, Syracuse, and Detroit.
We are heading into a huge 2026, and I am already hard at work on several exciting projects that I cannot wait to share with you. Even on day one of the new year, people that support the White House are already taking shots at me. That is fine. We are leaving the attacks in 2025.
Here’s what you missed:
- A new Wall Street Journal report outlines significant new health concerns about Donald Trump heading into the new year. Health claims and contradictions: Donald Trump says he takes more aspirin than doctors advise because he believes thinner blood is better for his heart, a remark that suggests he may be disregarding medical guidance; at the same time, an article meant to reassure readers about his health raises new concerns instead.Physical appearance and denials: The piece attributes Trump’s frequently bruised or discolored hands to extremely delicate skin that “bleeds constantly,” with Trump saying he applies makeup after getting “whacked”; he also denies repeatedly dozing off during public events, insisting that widely shared images are merely moments of him “blinking.” Diet and overall assessment: According to Joe Gruters, who is the Chairman of the RNC, Trump was observed eating an entire spread of McDonald’s items—fries, a Quarter Pounder, a Big Mac, and a Filet-O-Fish—in one sitting.
- Health claims and contradictions: Donald Trump says he takes more aspirin than doctors advise because he believes thinner blood is better for his heart, a remark that suggests he may be disregarding medical guidance; at the same time, an article meant to reassure readers about his health raises new concerns instead.
- Physical appearance and denials: The piece attributes Trump’s frequently bruised or discolored hands to extremely delicate skin that “bleeds constantly,” with Trump saying he applies makeup after getting “whacked”; he also denies repeatedly dozing off during public events, insisting that widely shared images are merely moments of him “blinking.”
- Diet and overall assessment: According to Joe Gruters, who is the Chairman of the RNC, Trump was observed eating an entire spread of McDonald’s items—fries, a Quarter Pounder, a Big Mac, and a Filet-O-Fish—in one sitting.
- Donald Trump undercut repeated health explanations from his press secretary Karoline Leavitt by admitting he takes a higher-than-recommended daily aspirin dose and uses makeup to conceal bruising caused by thinning skin, while also clarifying that a much-scrutinized October medical test was a CT scan—not an MRI—fueling further questions about transparency around his health and contradicting earlier White House messaging.
- Democratic mayors made history across America:In New York City, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s mayor, becoming the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century as well as its first Muslim, South Asian, and Africa-born mayor; in a high-profile, cold-weather inauguration at New York City Hall featuring Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, Mamdani pledged to govern “expansively and audaciously”, center affordability and public services like free buses and universal child care, and insisted that “if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor.” In Detroit, Mary Sheffield was sworn in at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center as the city’s 76th mayor—becoming the first woman elected to the office in the city’s 300+ year history—administered by Janice Winfrey; she highlighted an inclusive, service-focused agenda and marked her first day by thanking first responders and serving meals at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, per reporting from WXYZ-TV.In Albany, Dorcey Applyrs was sworn in just after midnight at the Palace Theatre, becoming the city’s 76th mayor and its first Black mayor; the 43-year-old, who previously served as the city’s chief auditor and a Common Council member, succeeds Kathy Sheehan and marked the start of her term with both a private overnight ceremony and a public swearing-in later that day.In Syracuse, Sharon Owens was sworn in during an emotional evening ceremony at Syracuse City Hall, becoming Syracuse’s 55th mayor, the city’s first Black mayor, and only the second woman to hold the office in its 177-year history, with the event attended by family, supporters, city officials, and reporters.
- In New York City, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s mayor, becoming the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century as well as its first Muslim, South Asian, and Africa-born mayor; in a high-profile, cold-weather inauguration at New York City Hall featuring Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, Mamdani pledged to govern “expansively and audaciously”, center affordability and public services like free buses and universal child care, and insisted that “if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor.”
- In Detroit, Mary Sheffield was sworn in at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center as the city’s 76th mayor—becoming the first woman elected to the office in the city’s 300+ year history—administered by Janice Winfrey; she highlighted an inclusive, service-focused agenda and marked her first day by thanking first responders and serving meals at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, per reporting from WXYZ-TV.
- In Albany, Dorcey Applyrs was sworn in just after midnight at the Palace Theatre, becoming the city’s 76th mayor and its first Black mayor; the 43-year-old, who previously served as the city’s chief auditor and a Common Council member, succeeds Kathy Sheehan and marked the start of her term with both a private overnight ceremony and a public swearing-in later that day.
- In Syracuse, Sharon Owens was sworn in during an emotional evening ceremony at Syracuse City Hall, becoming Syracuse’s 55th mayor, the city’s first Black mayor, and only the second woman to hold the office in its 177-year history, with the event attended by family, supporters, city officials, and reporters.
- Russia ushered in 2026 by launching more than 200 drones at Ukraine, killing at least two people, as Vladimir Putin declared confidence in victory, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a peace deal was “90% ready” but stalled by Russia’s demands, citing ongoing U.S.-led diplomacy involving Donald Trump even as fighting and cross-border strikes continued.
- The U.S. military said it struck three additional boats allegedly smuggling drugs, killing three people and prompting a search-and-rescue effort by the U.S. Coast Guard, as U.S. Southern Command defended the attacks—part of a wider escalation ordered under Donald Trump that has resulted in at least 110 deaths since September and is tied to increased pressure on Nicolás Maduro amid claims of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, according to Associated Press.
- According to CNN, drugmakers plan to raise U.S. list prices on at least 350 branded medicines in 2026—including vaccines and major treatments like Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Ibrance—despite pressure from Donald Trump to lower costs, with a median hike of about 4%, while only a small number of drugs will see price cuts, highlighting that recent government deals have had limited impact on overall prescription drug pricing.
- At least 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured after a fire tore through the Le Constellation bar during New Year’s celebrations in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana, with authorities in the canton of Valais calling it an unprecedented tragedy, warning the toll could rise, and saying the blaze was not an attack as investigators probe whether festive sparklers may have ignited the venue, overwhelming local hospitals and prompting nationwide emergency response measures
- According to NBC, a Catholic social media influencer, Paul Kim, announced that his 5-year-old son Micah died on New Year’s Eve after an unusually severe case of the flu that led to sepsis, seizures, and a coma, sharing that the child had fought for 11 days in the hospital and asking for privacy as the family grieves amid a broader surge of flu cases affecting young children across the U.S.
- The United States sharply reduced proposed tariffs on Italian pasta after a review, cutting duties for La Molisana to 2.26% and Garofalo to 13.98%, down from a threatened extra 92% rate, while 11 other producers face a 9.09% tariff—an outcome Italy’s foreign ministry welcomed as a sign of cooperation, easing pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni amid broader Trump-era trade tensions, according to Reuters.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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