Good evening, everyone. This will likely be my last update tonight, but there are major developments you need to know. The House has voted to extend ACA subsidies. Donald Trump said the only thing that can stop him is his own morality and claimed he does not need international law. JD Vance called the death of Renee Nicole Good “a tragedy of her own making.” And that is only part of what is unfolding.
On a personal note, thank you. Since the United States struck Venezuela five days ago, the pace of events has been relentless, and it is only accelerating. I see your comments, I see your messages, and I want you to know how grateful I am. You have given me the best job in the world, and I do not take that lightly.
The United States House of Representatives has officially passed an extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies. More than one dozen Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for the legislation. This vote was made possible by a discharge petition put forth by Democratic leadership. The bill now heads to the United States Senate, where there is expected to be some Republican support.
Donald Trump said in a New York Times interview that he does not “need international law” and that the only real limit on his power as US president is his own morality, arguing that his personal judgment is the primary constraint on his actions while downplaying formal legal boundaries.
He emphasized the importance of ownership over treaties or agreements while discussing potential US control of Greenland, defended US actions against Venezuela by repeating disputed claims about criminal threats, dismissed concerns that such moves could encourage China to seize Taiwan or Russia to expand in Ukraine, expressed confidence that China’s leader would not act against Taiwan while he is president, and showed little concern about the expiration of the last US-Russia arms control treaty, saying a better agreement could be made later and should include China.
The Republican-controlled House failed to override President Donald Trump’s vetoes of two previously uncontroversial GOP-backed bills—one funding a rural Colorado water pipeline and another allowing the Miccosukee Tribe to expand managed land in Florida—highlighting Trump’s continued dominance over the party as he justified the vetoes on cost, immigration, and political grounds despite the measures having earlier passed Congress unanimously.
The US Senate advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution to limit Donald Trump’s ability to take further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, rebuking him after a surprise raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro, as supporters argued Congress must reassert its constitutional role over war-making while Trump and many Republicans defended the operation as a strong and effective use of US power and criticized the resolution as undermining national security.
Vice President JD Vance forcefully defended the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, calling her death “a tragedy of her own making,” asserting without evidence that she was brainwashed and tied to a left-wing network, criticizing media coverage, and insisting the shooting was justified self-defense despite disputed accounts, viral video, and pushback from Minnesota officials who accused the administration of spreading propaganda.
The FBI took sole control of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, cutting Minnesota authorities out of the case and intensifying public anger, as federal officials defended the shooting as self-defense while video evidence, local leaders, and widespread protests completely disprove that account.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ordered state agencies to mobilize resources and placed the National Guard on standby, activating the State Emergency Operations Center and deploying additional state patrol units to support local law enforcement while state and federal agencies coordinate to maintain public safety amid rising tensions.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem falsely claimed that local investigators in Minnesota did not have jurisdiction over the investigation:
Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna said the Justice Department cannot be trusted to fully release the Epstein files and called on a federal judge to appoint an independent overseer to ensure all records are made public.
According to the Guardian, Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, sharply criticized US foreign policy under Donald Trump, warning that Washington is turning away from allies, weakening international rules, and accelerating the breakdown of the postwar global order, as European leaders voiced concern that US actions such as the raid on Venezuela and talk of taking control of Greenland could push the world toward great-power competition where smaller states are left vulnerable and Europe must strengthen its strategic and military autonomy.
A federal judge ruled that John Sarcone, the Trump administration’s acting U.S. attorney in northern New York, is serving unlawfully and must stop work on two criminal investigations targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James, voiding grand jury subpoenas he signed and citing improper end-runs around Senate-confirmation rules and the danger of using unlawfully appointed prosecutors to pursue political adversaries.
President Donald Trump ordered the United States to withdraw from major UN-affiliated climate bodies, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the IPCC, effectively removing the country from global climate negotiations, escalating the administration’s rejection of climate diplomacy, and leaving the U.S. isolated from international efforts to address worsening climate impacts while raising legal questions about a president’s authority to exit a Senate-approved treaty.
According to CBS, the Senate unanimously voted to move forward with displaying a long-delayed plaque honoring the police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, breaking a yearslong impasse and directing the Architect of the Capitol to prominently display the memorial despite continued resistance from House leadership and past objections tied to President Trump’s handling of the riot.
Venezuela’s government announced it will release an “important number” of political prisoners, including foreigners, describing the move as a unilateral gesture to preserve peace, as rights groups estimate hundreds remain jailed from the Maduro era and families and opposition figures cautiously welcomed the announcement while awaiting details on who will be freed and when.
Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout as widespread protests driven by soaring prices, currency collapse, and economic hardship spread to all provinces, with human rights groups reporting dozens of protesters killed and thousands arrested, while authorities intensified crackdowns, blamed foreign interference, and faced mounting pressure as demonstrations, strikes, and symbolic acts like toppling statues signaled the country’s largest unrest in years.
The Guardian has confirmed that Harvey Weinstein is considering a guilty plea on an unresolved third-degree rape charge in New York to avoid a third trial, after a judge rejected his attempt to overturn his latest conviction over claims of juror intimidation, as the disgraced former movie mogul cited failing health and harsh jail conditions while prosecutors insisted the case reflects standard justice for sexual assault survivors.
A UK child protection watchdog, cited by NBC News, said dark web users are sharing illegal images of children that they claim were generated using Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok, raising serious concerns that the software is being used to create child sexual abuse material, prompting scrutiny from regulators in the UK and US and intensifying criticism of xAI over inadequate safeguards.
