Good evening, everyone. We are now on day eight of the government shutdown, and tensions are rising fast. At a White House roundtable today, Donald Trump claimed he “revoked free speech” over flag burning and vowed to go after antifa. Meanwhile, reports suggest the administration is seriously weighing the use of the Insurrection Act—potentially deploying military force in cities across America.
These are deeply serious times. This White House is turning its power against anyone who disagrees—including journalists and truth-tellers. But I will not back down. I will not be silenced. My commitment is to keep you informed and expose what’s happening in our nation.
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With that, here’s the news you missed:
Senior Trump administration officials are actively discussing invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow the president to deploy active-duty U.S. troops for domestic law enforcement — a major escalation in Trump’s push to send federal forces into cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland amid protests against ICE, raising fears of using the military against Americans.
Trump said that his administration “took the freedom of speech away” when addressing flag burning.
Pam Bondi vowed the Justice Department will dismantle antifa “from top to bottom,” likening the effort to how authorities went after cartels.
Nick Sortor, a right wing influencer, said he grabbed a burning flag from a man in the street; Trump asked if he knew him, and then told Sortor to give the flag to Attorney General Pam Bondi so they could “start prosecutions.”
Stephen Miller sparked online controversy after freezing mid-interview on CNN while citing Trump’s “plenary authority” to deploy the National Guard, prompting speculation he stopped himself from revealing too much about the administration’s expansive view of presidential power amid legal challenges to Trump’s troop deployments and talk of invoking the Insurrection Act.
About 500 National Guard troops from Texas and Illinois have been deployed to the Chicago area for 60 days to “protect ICE and federal property,” despite Governor JB Pritzker calling it an unconstitutional “invasion” and suing to block it — escalating tensions as Trump demands the arrests of Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson amid growing fears of federal overreach.
Trump accused some media outlets of working with opponents, calling ABC and NBC “very bad,” but said he’s hopeful about CBS under its new owner.
Clergy and faith activists in Chicago say their religious freedom is under threat after ICE agents used pepper balls and force against peaceful demonstrators praying outside a detention facility, prompting a lawsuit alleging federal violations of First Amendment rights as faith leaders continue protesting Trump’s mass deportation policies in acts of nonviolent religious resistance.
The U.S. government shutdown deepened as the Senate once again failed to pass competing funding bills, with both parties entrenched — Democrats demanding ACA subsidy extensions and Republicans pushing a short-term deal — while Speaker Mike Johnson accused Chuck Schumer of bowing to “communists” in his party and federal workers brace for missed paychecks.
A viral video by reporter Rachel Schilke shows Rep. Mike Lawler confronting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries over a one-year Affordable Care Act subsidies bill — with tensions flaring as Jeffries snaps, “You’re not going to talk over me because you don’t want to hear what I have to say, so why don’t you just keep your mouth shut.”
Today, I sat down for an exclusive interview with Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland, to discuss the effects the government shutdown is having on his state and how he is responding, the redistricting battles and calls for Maryland to do the same, and much more!
A new report warns that if the Supreme Court strikes down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais, Republicans could redraw up to 19 additional House seats in their favor, potentially locking in control of Congress and drastically reducing Black and Hispanic representation, prompting voting rights groups to call for an urgent Democratic response.
According to Politico, Donald Trump’s redistricting campaign is reportedly facing setbacks in Indiana, where top state Republicans have warned the White House the effort is stalling — prompting Vice President J.D. Vance to plan his second visit in three months to rally support and pressure lawmakers to advance the mid-cycle map changes.
Former Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was arrested for allegedly starting the January Palisades Fire in Los Angeles — a blaze that killed 12 people — with investigators claiming he intentionally ignited it after appearing agitated, took photos and listened to music about fire, then fled as the wildfire spread from an earlier smoldering blaze he had also allegedly caused.
Pentagon reporters and media watchdogs are denouncing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new press restrictions, calling them an attempt to “stifle a free press” by forcing journalists to sign pledges limiting what they can report and revoking newsroom spaces inside the Pentagon — part of what news organizations say is a broader Trump administration effort to control military coverage and restrict independent reporting.
Once a steadfast Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has recently distanced herself from GOP leadership and Trump’s team, criticizing her party on issues like Gaza, the Epstein files, and health care subsidies while emphasizing her independence and frustration with Republican leadership after being discouraged from a Senate run and passed over for a Trump administration role.
Dolly Parton reassured fans she’s fine after her sister’s prayer request sparked concern, saying in an Instagram video that she’s only dealing with minor health issues and postponed shows to focus on treatments in Nashville, joking “I ain’t dead yet!” and affirming she’s not done making music.
Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to federal charges of lying to Congress, a case widely seen as part of Donald Trump’s campaign to weaponize the Justice Department against political opponents, with Comey’s lawyers planning to argue selective prosecution and challenge the legality of the prosecutor’s appointment ahead of a trial set for January 2026.
The FBI fired three special agents tied to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Donald Trump after Kash Patel revealed they had subpoenaed congressional phone records — a move that critics warn could chill independence within the bureau as the Trump administration dismantles units involved in earlier probes against him.
In a posthumously released interview, Jane Goodall jokingly expressed a wish to send Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and other powerful leaders on a one-way trip into space aboard a SpaceX rocket.
Alabama sheriff Paul Burch faced backlash after a Halloween display at his home showed skeletons in sombreros and ponchos chased by figures in “ICE” shirts, with critics calling it racist and dehumanizing toward immigrants; his wife claimed responsibility, calling it “tongue-in-cheek,” while Latino community leaders condemned the display as harmful and inappropriate for a public official.
Justin Pearson, a 30-year-old Tennessee lawmaker and member of the “Tennessee Three,” launched a primary challenge against longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, positioning himself as part of a new generation pushing for progressive change on issues like gun safety, healthcare, and housing, with backing from Justice Democrats and David Hogg’s Leaders We Deserve PAC.
Derrick Groves, the last of ten inmates who escaped from New Orleans’ Orleans Justice Center in May, was captured in Atlanta after a police standoff — ending a four-month manhunt that uncovered a network of alleged accomplices, including a jail worker and Groves’ girlfriend, accused of helping plan the escape.
Elon Musk’s X has settled a lawsuit with four former top Twitter executives, including ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, who accused Musk of withholding $128 million in severance after firing them when he took over the company in 2022 — marking another costly legal resolution as X faces multiple suits over unpaid compensation from Musk’s mass layoffs.
The Senate confirmed Herschel Walker as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in a 51–47 party-line vote, making the Trump ally and former NFL star the first person to hold the post in nearly 15 years — a controversial appointment following Walker’s scandal-plagued 2022 Senate run and ongoing questions about his past.
Bad Bunny caught a foul ball during the Yankees–Blue Jays playoff game in New York, delighting fans as the superstar—set to headline Super Bowl 60’s halftime show—faces backlash from Trump and other conservatives who’ve criticized his performance booking and heritage, even as he remains one of the world’s most streamed artists.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was fined $250,000 by the NFL after appearing to flip off fans during Sunday’s win over the Jets — though the 82-year-old insisted it was an “inadvertent” gesture meant as a thumbs-up to Cowboys supporters, not an obscene one, and plans to appeal the penalty.
Joan Bennett Kennedy, the first wife of the late Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, has died at age 89. A classically trained pianist and mother of three, she was a prominent figure in the Kennedy family’s public life, enduring personal tragedy, her husband’s scandals—including Chappaquiddick—and her own long, public battle with alcoholism and depression, later becoming an advocate for mental health and arts education.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
