Good evening, everyone. We have major developments tonight. The Senate has reached a deal to avert a government shutdown and temporarily fund ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks. I am closely watching which Senate Democrats support this agreement, because it sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown over ICE funding in just fourteen days.
At the same time, President Trump is clearly on the defensive. He avoided taking questions, retreated in meetings, and his White House is quietly signaling error for the first time. That almost never happens under Trump, and it matters.
This afternoon I spoke at the Democracy Forward conference to a room full of over 500 people impacted by the first year of Trump. From federal workers who were fired to teachers impacted by book bans. We spoke about the failure of institutions like the media. We spoke about how they caved.
I made the room a promise: I am never caving. I am never backing down. We are reaching tens of millions of people at a moment when the White House is openly targeting journalists. That makes this space, and independent reporting, more essential than ever. But I cannot do this alone.
Here’s the news:
President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats reached a bipartisan deal to avoid a prolonged government shutdown by funding most federal agencies through September 30, 2026, while approving a two-week temporary funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to allow continued negotiations over proposed reforms, following heightened political tensions after killings in Minneapolis; a brief, low-impact shutdown may still occur over the weekend as the Senate and House complete final votes. It is unclear which Senate Democrat will vote for this package, I will update you.
President Donald Trump conspicuously did not acknowledge or call on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a Cabinet meeting, a snub that stood out as she faces bipartisan backlash and calls to resign over the Minneapolis crackdown and the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents, even as the White House scrambles to manage political fallout and negotiate DHS funding to avoid a shutdown.
Donald Trump refused to take any questions at his Cabinet meeting today:
He also refused to take any questions at an executive order signing:
Three hundred Catholic leaders urged the Senate not to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection, arguing that recent immigration enforcement under DHS has torn families apart and violates Catholic social teaching by harming families and communities without sufficient safeguards.
Donald Trump said he does not want to lower housing prices overall and instead aims to push prices higher for existing homeowners, arguing that homeowners will benefit from rising property values.
A Texas man detained by ICE, Maher Tarabishi, was denied temporary release to attend the funeral of his 30-year-old son Wael, who died from complications of Pompe disease after months without the full-time care his father provided, prompting family and attorneys to condemn ICE’s decision as inhumane despite agency policies allowing escorted visits for critically ill relatives or funerals.
President Donald Trump filed a federal lawsuit in Miami seeking at least $10 billion from the Treasury Department and the IRS, alleging his tax returns were unlawfully disclosed during his first term in office.
Trump said they are not pulling back any agents from Minnesota:
NBC News has confirmed that firearm instructors around Minneapolis report a significant surge in sign-ups for gun safety and permit-to-carry classes, roughly four times the usual number, as residents respond to fear and uneasiness linked to federal immigration enforcement operations, street clashes, and recent shootings in the city.
A Minnesota man, Mark Anderson, was arrested for impersonating an FBI agent after attempting to secure the release of accused killer Luigi Mangione from a federal prison in Brooklyn by falsely claiming he had a judge-signed court order, presenting no valid credentials, carrying improvised weapons, and being deemed a flight risk, while Mangione remains jailed on multiple state and federal murder-related charges.
The Justice Department charged Anthony Kazmierczak with assaulting Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall by spraying her with a substance later identified as apple cider vinegar, citing prior threats and political hostility, while federal prosecutors separately charged Kansas man Adam Lee Osborn for making a Facebook death threat against Omar, as officials warned that threats against members of Congress continue to rise sharply.
President Donald Trump announced that the FAA will decertify Bombardier Global Express and other Canadian-made aircraft until Canada certifies U.S.-made Gulfstream business jets, warning that if the issue is not resolved immediately he will impose a 50% tariff on all Canadian aircraft sold in the United States.
Per Reuters, the U.S. Treasury issued a new license allowing U.S. entities to engage in Venezuela’s oil industry while explicitly barring companies from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba from participating, as Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez signed a law to open and privatize the country’s oil sector to foreign investment.
Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the White House Great American Recovery Initiative to focus on addiction treatment, appointing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kathryn Burgum as co-chairs, both of whom emphasized through personal experience that addiction is a chronic medical disease rather than a moral failure.
Two Kansas men were indicted in separate cases for threatening federal officials, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, with one defendant, Adam Lee Osborn, accused of posting online that he would kill Omar and making additional threats against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, later telling investigators the statements were “venting” and meant to provoke others despite lacking weapons or means to carry them.
See you soon.
— Aaron
