ICE ramps up military-style raids in Chicago, violently detaining American citizens, Abbott orders removal of rainbow sidewalks, Johnson sends House home through October 20th, and more
Good evening, everyone. Before diving into the news, I want to pause for something personal. Today is World Mental Health Day, and it feels important to open up a bit about my own journey. If you’d rather skip straight to the headlines, I completely understand. Just scroll down.
We live in a chaotic and overwhelming world, and taking care of my own mental health hasn’t always been easy. For a long time, I tried to push through the exhaustion, the stress, and the burnout, but recently, for the first time, I started going to therapy. Honestly, it has been life-changing.
So tonight, I’m stepping back from the relentless pace of the news cycle, and I encourage you to do the same. Breathe. Disconnect. Take care of yourself. It’s okay not to be okay all the time.
I’ll be real. There are moments when I feel burnt out, when the threats and the pressure make this work feel impossible. But I keep going because of you: your messages, your support, your belief in what we’re building here. You make this possible, and I am deeply, sincerely grateful.
If you want to help sustain this work, the journalism, the truth-telling, and the fight through the noise, consider subscribing today. Together, we’ll keep going. Through the burnout. Through the threats. Through it all.
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With that, here’s the news:
Federal immigration agents have been using military-style hardware and tactics — including helicopters, flash-bang grenades, and armored vehicles — in civilian raids across U.S. cities, drawing outrage from lawmakers and civil rights groups who say Trump administration enforcement actions are treating American neighborhoods like war zones.
In Chicago’s Lincoln Square, WGN-TV video editor and producer Debbie Brockman was violently detained by masked Border Patrol agents during a rush-hour immigration enforcement action, with witnesses saying she was pinned to the ground before being arrested.
The Trump administration has initiated substantial federal worker layoffs across multiple agencies—including Homeland Security, Education, Energy, and Health and Human Services—amid an ongoing government shutdown, prompting backlash from Democrats and unions who call the move illegal and politically motivated.
Trump said upcoming federal layoffs will be “Democrat oriented,” claiming Democrats are to blame for the cuts and warning that “a lot” of people will be affected, with official numbers to be announced in the coming days.
Speaker Mike Johnson extended the House district work period for another week, keeping the chamber out of session until Oct. 20, saying the House will return only after the Senate passes the House-approved continuing resolution.
The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo will close starting Sunday, Oct. 12, as the government shutdown forces the temporary closure of all Smithsonian facilities and research centers.
Pete Hegseth issued a clarifying statement on the Qatar Air Force facility in Idaho after causing mass confusion and chaos among the right and the left:
The White House blasted the Nobel Committee for giving the Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado instead of Donald Trump, calling the decision “politics over peace,” as Trump allies claimed he was snubbed despite his role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire and openly lobbying for the award.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the removal of rainbow crosswalks statewide, citing safety and misuse of taxpayer funds, while LGBTQ advocates countered that the projects are privately funded and safe, calling the move a political distraction.
According to NBC News, UPS confirmed it is “disposing of” some U.S.-bound packages stuck in customs amid new Trump administration import rules, as thousands of shipments pile up in warehouses due to incomplete paperwork and tariff changes, leaving customers frustrated and uncertain about lost or destroyed goods.
President Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting November 1 after accusing Beijing of restricting rare-earth exports, reigniting trade tensions that sent global markets tumbling and raised fears of a renewed U.S.–China trade war.
Trump said he has not canceled his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite earlier remarks suggesting tensions, adding that he will attend the APEC summit in South Korea “regardless” and still expects the meeting “might happen.”
Hundreds of U.S. students have been quarantined amid widening measles outbreaks in South Carolina, Minnesota, and Utah, with at least 270 unvaccinated children forced into three-week quarantines as health officials warn that falling vaccination rates are fueling the return of a disease once eliminated in the U.S.
The DOJ charged 69-year-old George Russell Isbell Jr. with sending a violent threat letter to pro-Trump influencer Benny Johnson, prompting Attorney General Pam Bondi to condemn rising political violence as Johnson blamed Democrats for “mainstreaming” it.
MIT became the first university to reject federal funding tied to the Trump administration’s education agenda, citing threats to academic freedom and independence, after refusing conditions like restricting transgender participation and capping international enrollment.
Vice President JD Vance visited Indianapolis as the White House pressures Indiana to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterms, meeting with GOP Gov. Mike Braun and other lawmakers amid ongoing redistricting debates.
Tech billionaire Peter Thiel has privately hosted a series of sold-out lectures in San Francisco warning that “the antichrist” may already be present, tying the idea to global governance, environmentalism, and technology regulation, and suggesting figures like Greta Thunberg and Bill Gates embody “anti-science” or authoritarian traits hastening Armageddon, according to recordings obtained by The Guardian.
A massive explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems munitions plant in Hickman County, Tennessee, killed and injured multiple people, with several still unaccounted for as secondary blasts initially kept rescuers away; officials are investigating the cause of the blast, which shook homes miles from the site.
President Donald Trump underwent what he described as a “semi-annual physical” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; the White House called it a routine yearly checkup, noting his last exam was on April 11.
Trump plans to leave Sunday for the Middle East to attend the formal signing of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal and said he’ll likely be present for the release of remaining Gaza hostages early next week.
Los Angeles authorities say Adva Lavie used dating apps to meet mostly wealthy elderly men, gained their trust by posing as a girlfriend or companion, and then burglarized their homes; multiple victims have since come forward as detectives investigate similar past cases.
First lady Melania Trump said she’s been working directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reunite Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war, announcing eight reunifications so far and describing ongoing “good faith” talks between U.S. and Russian representatives to expand the effort.
French President Emmanuel Macron reappointed Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister just four days after his resignation, tasking him with urgently delivering a national budget to parliament and ending the political instability frustrating French citizens.
