BREAKING: Complete Chaos in the Pentagon and at Newark Airport as Democrats Secure Major win in North Carolina

Democrats secured a major victory in North Carolina, there is complete chaos at the Newark airport and in the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth ordered a stop to weapons shipment without Trump ordering him

I am 35,000 feet in the air flying to Arizona for my first every keynote (video to come and wish me luck), but the news does not stop, so I wanted to make sure that you still had a morning news update.

There will be no video with this one because I am in the air, but this will be text-based. I will have a video update this afternoon. Whether on the plane or on the ground, I am committed to providing you with accurate, timely news. Please consider subscribing to support this work:

With that, let’s get to the news:

• Last week, a sudden communication and radar failure between Philadelphia air traffic controllers and Newark Liberty International Airport triggered a cascading crisis that disrupted flights for days. Pilots struggled to reach controllers, including one United flight that went unanswered for 30 seconds—a lapse that contributed to widespread delays, cancellations, and emotional trauma among air traffic staff. At least five FAA employees have since taken leave, citing the psychological toll of the incident. The event exposed deep flaws in the aging air traffic control system and underscored the impact of chronic staffing shortages. In response, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to modernize the outdated infrastructure, but acknowledged it may take years to fully implement.

• Reuters reports that shortly after taking office, Pete Hegseth halted U.S. military aid shipments to Ukraine—a move that surprised the White House and was not ordered by Donald Trump, according to sources.

• In a significant victory for Democrats, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Myers has ordered the North Carolina State Board of Elections to certify Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs' 734-vote win, dismissing all of Griffin's election challenges. The judge has paused the order for one week to allow time for an appeal.

• National security attorney Mark Zaid has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the revocation of his security clearance was unlawful and retaliatory. The suit seeks to have the action declared unconstitutional, demands the restoration of his clearance, and calls for a halt to the broader enforcement of the policy.

• Pete Hegseth relied on the encrypted messaging app Signal for official Pentagon communications more extensively than previously known, participating in at least a dozen separate chats. In one instance, he used the app to instruct aides to notify foreign governments about an ongoing military operation.

• Mattel is preparing to raise prices on toys sold in the U.S., as the company shifts more of its manufacturing out of China and urges the Trump administration to exclude toys from tariffs, according to its CEO.

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed a 20% reduction in the number of four-star military generals and admirals, signaling a major shift in the structure of top military leadership.

• Friedrich Merz suffers surprise defeat in German Parliament's chancellor vote, throwing Europe's biggest economy into political turmoil.

• The UK and India reach deal on free trade agreement.

• The White House is weighing potential executive action that would place greater oversight on name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals for college athletes, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. While the proposal is under serious consideration, no final decisions have been made.

• Several Republican lawmakers set to question university presidents this week in a congressional hearing on antisemitism are facing scrutiny for their own controversial past statements and associations. Some have made remarks urging Jewish conversion to Christianity, quoted Adolf Hitler, or been linked to threats against Jewish institutions. A group of mostly Jewish professors from Haverford College, one of the schools represented in the hearing, raised concerns in a memo criticizing the credibility of certain committee members. They argue that these legislators have not adequately condemned antisemitic incidents in their own districts and question the legitimacy of their role in the inquiry

• The Trump administration has begun collecting on defaulted student loans, warning borrowers that their wages, federal benefits, and tax refunds could be seized to recover the debt.

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump today at the White House, in a high-stakes diplomatic encounter aimed at addressing escalating tensions between the two nations. This marks Carney's first official visit to Washington since his recent election victory, which was largely driven by his pledge to confront Trump's aggressive trade policies and controversial remarks about Canada.

• The U.S. Department of Education has notified Harvard University that it will cut off billions in research funding and other federal aid unless the university agrees to a series of demands from the Trump administration. The conditions would effectively place significant aspects of Harvard’s governance under federal control, raising alarms about academic independence and government overreach.

• A new KFF poll reveals that fewer than half of Americans have confidence in federal health agencies like the CDC and FDA to fulfill critical duties such as managing disease outbreaks, ensuring vaccine and drug safety, and operating free from political influence. While nearly 60% of adults still express some trust in these agencies to provide reliable vaccine information, overall confidence has declined. The results also show a shift along partisan lines, with trust among Democrats falling and Republican confidence rising since the start of Trump’s second term.

See you this evening.

— Aaron