Good morning, everyone. Today starts as a recovery day after a long day on Capitol Hill yesterday, but the news never stops. The knives are out for Attorney General Pam Bondi after yesterday’s hearing. Ridicule is growing online, and Republican backlash is intensifying rather than fading.
At the same time, Tom Homan has announced an official end to the federal immigration surge in Minnesota, a controversial operation that drew national outrage after two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed during enforcement actions. The announcement follows sustained public protest, political pressure, and mounting scrutiny over the tactics used.
I received so many positive messages over the past day, and I am deeply grateful. Thank you. Your support and encouragement keep me fueled. Your subscriptions allow me to do this independently and full time. If you are able, please consider subscribing or gifting a subscription to support this independent reporting. There is much more to come.
Here’s the news:
- Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing intense backlash—including from prominent conservative and far-right figures—after what was described as a chaotic and combative congressional hearing regarding her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, during which she reportedly deflected questions, promoted President Trump’s economic record, accused Democrats of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and refused to directly address concerns about Epstein-related prosecutions while survivors watched from the gallery.
- The internet ridiculed her over talking about the DOW hitting 50,000 despite it not being in her purview as Attorney General:
- This is the clip the ridicule is drawn from:
- Critics from across the political spectrum, including Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, Kyle Rittenhouse, Erick Erickson, Tim Pool, and Nick Fuentes, called her performance evasive and inappropriate, with several demanding her resignation or impeachment.
- The Justice Department acknowledged that it failed to properly redact the face of an undercover FBI employee in a newly released video tied to the Jeffrey Epstein files, prompting CNN to blur the individual’s identity after publication. The incident adds to ongoing criticism over the department’s handling of the massive document release, which has included both accidental disclosures and heavy redactions, drawing backlash from lawmakers and victims.
- Here is a list of Administration officials, or Administration adjacent officials, listed in the Epstein files:
- Rep. Jamie Raskin accused Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department of engaging in “Orwellian” surveillance after a photograph appeared to show that a lawmaker’s search history of the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files was being monitored during a congressional review session. Raskin argued that tracking lawmakers’ computer searches would violate the separation of powers and suggested the monitoring may have extended to all members who accessed the files.
- Tom Homan has just announced that the ICE surge in Minnesota has "concluded." ICE operations will completely wind down, per Homan.
- According to the New York Times, in a farewell message, “CBS Evening News” producer Alicia Hastey criticized the newsroom’s editorial climate, saying stories were being judged not only on journalistic standards but also on whether they aligned with what she described as shifting ideological expectations. Her remarks suggest concerns about internal pressures influencing coverage decisions, raising broader questions about editorial independence and newsroom culture.
- A partial government shutdown is approaching as funding for much of the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire, with Democrats refusing to support a funding bill unless it includes new restrictions on federal immigration agents following a fatal ICE shooting. Negotiations between Democrats, Republicans, and the White House remain stalled, as Republicans argue the proposed limits would undermine law enforcement and instead push for protections for agents and tougher policies on sanctuary cities.
- While ICE and Customs and Border Protection would continue operating due to prior funding, agencies like TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard would be affected, potentially forcing many federal employees to work without pay and marking the third shutdown in recent months.
- A small group of House Republicans broke with party leadership to vote against President Trump’s Canada tariffs, triggering a series of upcoming votes that Democrats plan to use to highlight affordability concerns ahead of the midterms. While GOP leaders had long shielded vulnerable members from tough tariff votes, the recent rebellion has forced Republicans to publicly choose between supporting Trump’s trade policies and addressing economic pressures in their districts.
- According to Reuters, a lawyer tied to President Trump’s “Stop the Steal” effort, Kurt Olsen, reportedly urged a U.S. intelligence contractor working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to search for evidence supporting claims of fraud in the 2020 election while it was examining voting machine vulnerabilities in Puerto Rico. Sources said the contractor declined to expand its probe beyond assessing future election security, and ODNI denied that Olsen was involved in its formal examination of Puerto Rico’s voting systems.
- Newly released documents indicate that former Barclays CEO Jes Staley was listed as a trustee of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate in 2014 and 2015, appearing to contradict his 2025 court testimony in which he said he declined the role and was not a close personal friend of Epstein. The trust documents, which include Staley’s signature, raise fresh questions about the accuracy of his statements during his unsuccessful attempt to overturn a lifetime regulatory ban tied to his relationship with Epstein.
- According to The Hill, several Republican senators expressed relief after a grand jury rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to indict six Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, over a video urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful orders. While some GOP lawmakers criticized the video as inappropriate, many said pursuing criminal charges was excessive and potentially unconstitutional, with some warning against using the justice system for political purposes.
- Cardi B blasts ICE: “if ICE come in here we’re gonna jump they asses... They ain’t taking my fans”
- Leaders of a right-wing Alberta separatist movement say they have held multiple meetings with U.S. State and Treasury Department officials to discuss the possibility of Alberta becoming an independent country, including talks about currency, military development and economic cooperation, and they claim to have been encouraged by the administration’s tone. U.S. officials, however, have downplayed the significance of the meetings, saying they were routine staff-level discussions with no commitments made and no senior officials involved.
- Newly released emails and text messages show that former Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino praised and encouraged a federal agent who shot U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez five times during an immigration operation in Chicago, even as video evidence later undermined officials’ claims that she had tried to ram agents with her car and led to the dismissal of felony charges against her.
- As the Kennedy Center prepares for a two-year closure and renovation under a plan announced by President Trump, its president, Richard Grenell, has warned staff that significant cuts will leave only “skeletal teams” operating during construction, with many departments scaled back or paused entirely.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from withholding federal education funding over a state law that limits when schools must notify parents about a student’s gender identity. The administration argues the law violates federal parental rights protections, while California officials contend the state is complying with federal law and that cutting billions in school funding would cause serious harm to students.
- In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez declared that Nicolás Maduro remains the country’s legitimate leader despite his recent capture by U.S. forces, signaling a shift toward cooperation with the Trump administration as the two countries negotiate over Venezuela’s oil industry. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright praised the early stages of collaboration, citing major oil sales and policy changes, while noting that the United States holds significant leverage over Venezuela’s primary revenue source.
- Two Israelis, including an army reservist, have been charged with serious security offenses for allegedly using classified military information to place bets on the prediction platform Polymarket regarding potential military operations. Authorities said no operational harm resulted but condemned the actions as a major ethical and security breach, warning that using secret information for personal profit endangers national security.
- Russia has fully blocked WhatsApp, citing Meta’s failure to comply with local laws, and is urging citizens to switch to a state-backed messaging app called MAX as part of a broader push to establish a “sovereign” communications system. Kremlin officials framed the move as a legal enforcement action, while critics argue the government-backed alternative could enable greater surveillance.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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