Good morning everyone. There are several major stories driving the news today. Republicans have unveiled a health care plan that does not extend ACA subsidies, virtually guaranteeing higher premiums for millions. Turmoil inside the administration is intensifying, with growing signs that Kristi Noem’s tenure at DHS may be nearing its end. And new polling shows that a clear majority of Americans, including most Republicans, believe Donald Trump knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes before they became public.
On a personal note, my wife and I made a 2026 mood board last night. I want to share it with you, but I can’t yet, because it includes plans and announcements that aren’t public just yet. What I can say is this: one of my core goals heading into 2026 is to make this Substack the number one news platform in the country.
That may sound ambitious, even unrealistic. But this year, we reached number three nationwide, behind only Fox News and the Daily Mail. That is not a fantasy. That is proof of what this community can do. Next year, I believe we can take the top spot.
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Here’s what you missed:
NBC News reports that escalating White House pressure to dramatically increase deportations has triggered deep internal strife at the Department of Homeland Security, with Secretary Kristi Noem and top adviser Corey Lewandowski blaming ICE and CBP leaders for missing arrest targets, prompting fears of email monitoring, threats of resignation, sidelining of senior officials, and leadership instability as deportation numbers fall far short of the administration’s stated goals.
Amid the release of new Epstein-related photos and ahead of a major DOJ document deadline, polling from Reuters shows most Americans—and a sizable share of Republicans—believe Trump likely knew about Epstein’s alleged crimes, reflecting longstanding public suspicion fueled by Trump’s past statements, disclosures, and associations, and underscoring the political danger of continued Epstein revelations even without proof of criminal involvement.
Asked about newly released Epstein photos showing him alongside figures like Bill Clinton and Steve Bannon, Trump downplayed their significance, saying Epstein “had photos with everybody” and insisting he knew nothing about it, brushing off the revelations without addressing broader concerns about his past association.
House Republicans unveiled a narrow health care package that avoids extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at year’s end—signaling Congress is unlikely to prevent sharp premium hikes for millions—opting instead for smaller GOP priorities like association health plans, cost-sharing reduction payments, and pharmacy benefit manager transparency, even as nonpartisan estimates warn premiums could more than double for many enrollees and millions could lose coverage if the subsidies lapse
When asked about the estimated 24 million Americans facing higher insurance premiums, Trump dismissed the concern and attacked the reporter as a “sycophant for Democrats,” sidestepping the substance of the question rather than addressing the potential impact on consumers.
CBS has confirmed that House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing growing internal rebellion as frustrated Republicans increasingly bypass his leadership through discharge petitions—defying him on issues ranging from Epstein-related disclosures and health care subsidies to labor rights and stock trading—fueling doubts about his control of the narrow GOP majority and raising questions about his long-term hold on the speakership, even as outright efforts to remove him have not yet coalesced.
CNN reports that the Trump administration plans to radically reshape U.S. coinage by issuing a $1 coin bearing Trump’s likeness—breaking long-standing precedent against featuring living presidents—while abandoning previously recommended quarters honoring abolition, women’s suffrage, and the Civil Rights movement in favor of designs centered on white male founders and early American history.
Trump appears to be retreating from his aggressive effort to install loyalist U.S. attorneys without Senate approval, shifting instead to attacking the Senate’s “blue slip” process after multiple court rulings disqualified his picks and forced high-profile resignations, underscoring both judicial resistance to his Justice Department strategy and growing limits on his ability to bypass traditional confirmation norms.
Kamala Harris criticized Trump’s economic record, arguing that prices, unemployment, and inflation have all risen under his leadership, and mocked Trump for giving the economy an “A+++++,” saying there is “nothing A+” about current economic conditions.
NBC News reports that the Justice Department is considering a novel federal hate-crime case in the killing of Charlie Kirk, in part based on evidence that the suspect—whose partner is trans—expressed hostility toward Kirk over his views, but career prosecutors are pushing back, arguing that equating anti-trans motives with an anti-Christian hate crime may not fit existing federal statutes, leaving the prosecution primarily in state court for now.
The Trump administration has quietly launched a sweeping data-sharing program in which the TSA provides passenger lists multiple times a week to ICE, allowing immigration agents to identify, detain, and rapidly deport travelers with final removal orders at U.S. airports—a major break from past practice that has already led to arrests like that of a 19-year-old college student in Boston, intensified fears among immigrants, and drawn criticism that routine air travel is being transformed into a tool of mass deportation.
Trump is openly pressing the Federal Reserve to heed his views as he prepares to name a successor to Chair Jerome Powell, signaling an unprecedented push for White House influence over monetary policy; he has floated former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and adviser Kevin Hassett as leading candidates, criticized the Fed’s reluctance to slash interest rates, and argued that as president he is a “smart voice” who should be listened to.
A California jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $40 million to two women who said decades of using its talc-based baby powder caused their ovarian cancer, finding the company knew for years about potential dangers but failed to warn consumers—another setback for J&J as it faces tens of thousands of similar lawsuits and repeated court rejections of its attempts to resolve the litigation through bankruptcy.
NPR reports that some Head Start programs have been instructed by the Trump administration to remove nearly 200 words—including “disability,” “women,” “Black,” “minority,” “tribal,” and “inclusion”—from federal funding applications or risk denial.
Good news:
Singing offers broad health benefits—from stress reduction and improved heart and immune function to stronger emotional bonds—but these effects are even greater when people sing together, as group singing activates calming neural pathways, boosts endorphins, strengthens social connection, and aligns with humans’ deeply social evolutionary nature.
A specially modified “dancing wheelchair” has allowed 11-year-old Desa Kaiser, who is paralyzed from the waist down after a car crash, to return to the dance floor, helping her rebuild strength, confidence, and self-expression as she embraces being “cool” and unique while continuing rehabilitation at Shriners Children’s Hospital.
After a six-year closure caused by landslides and erosion, the South Unit Scenic Road in Theodore Roosevelt National Park has reopened following a $51 million reconstruction funded largely by the Great American Outdoors Act, restoring one of the Midwest’s most scenic drives while improving safety, drainage, and long-term access to a park that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
