Good evening, everyone—and happy Friday night.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the news cycle has taken a brief pause. And so have I. That pause felt necessary, because I haven’t done an update like this in a long time—and it’s important we take a moment to talk about where we are as a media community, and where we’re headed as we move deeper into this new year.
Before I go further, I want to say this plainly: if you believe in independent journalism that refuses to look away, now is the moment to help power it. Subscriptions are what allow us to keep reporting when the spotlight moves on—when the noise is loud, when accountability becomes inconvenient, and when the truth is harder (and more expensive) to chase. Your support directly fuels the investigative work we’ll be doing for the rest of this year and beyond.
Because the truth is, I don’t think any of us expected to be here this quickly.
I’ve received hundreds of messages from so many of you saying the same thing—that 2026 has felt like the longest sixteen days of your life. And trust me, as someone reporting on this every single day, seeing it up close and unfiltered, I understand that feeling more than you know. What you’re feeling is real. And what’s happening is happening.
That sense of exhaustion.
The overwhelm.
The feeling that it’s all just… too much.
That isn’t accidental.
Exhaustion is the goal.
Those in power benefit when people are worn down—when the volume of information is so constant that nothing sticks, and when real accountability stories fade before answers are ever delivered. Overwhelm is a strategy. It’s meant to make you tune out.
Take the Epstein files as one example. It has now been 28 days since the Department of Justice failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Ask yourself: do you hear about the Epstein files every day the way you once did?
No.
Why?
Because the news cycle has been flooded—from Minnesota to Venezuela, from protests to politics—until one of the most consequential transparency failures of our time quietly slipped into the background. That wasn’t a coincidence. And in far too many media spaces, that strategy is working.
It’s why we exist—to make sure it doesn’t work here.
This week alone, we were outside the Supreme Court during one of the most important cases of the term. We interviewed Governor JB Pritzker, Congressman Brendan Boyle, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, Epstein survivor Jess Michaels, and many others.
We broke a major exclusive: Epstein survivors are now taking the fight into their own hands, demanding answers directly from the Justice Department’s Inspector General. And we took to the streets across Washington, D.C., covering multiple anti-ICE protests—democracy not as a theory, but as something unfolding in real time.
And we’re just getting started.
Next week will be even busier. More interviews are already scheduled, including one I know you’ll find especially compelling (I can’t say more just yet). Tomorrow, I’ll be with students from Kentucky, speaking to them about democracy, accountability, and why fighting for the truth still matters—especially when it’s hardest.
We’re also expanding The Parnas Perspective. This year, we’re building out a larger team so I can focus deeply on major investigative stories I’ve been developing for months—starting with the impact of data centers on communities across America. Plans are also in motion to report directly from the front lines of major global conflicts. That work takes time, resources, and independence—and that’s where your support truly matters.
There is a lot ahead of us.
It won’t be easy. But I am confident in this community. I’m confident that as long as we stay together, stay engaged, and stay committed to the truth, we will keep pushing forward.
It’s okay to feel anger at injustice.
It’s okay to feel tired.
But don’t let anyone take your hope. Don’t let them take your empathy, your curiosity, or your belief that tomorrow can be better than today.
We will get through this—together.
