Good morning, everyone. It’s already been a hectic morning as we woke up to the Justice Department racing to scrub the internet of information related to January 6 defendants. I’ve been working to archive pages, indictments, press releases, and other records to make sure history is not rewritten.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is preparing for a possible new round of strikes on Iran, potentially as soon as today. The administration has also changed the definition of service animals in federal housing policy, making it easier for landlords to evict tenants with emotional support animals. All of this comes as the current Ebola outbreak has become the third largest in recorded history.
Also, I mentioned that my new live show with Jessica Tarlov will be exclusive to Substack, and I’m excited to announce that the first episode will air next Wednesday, May 27, at 12 p.m. If you can’t make it live, don’t worry, it will be recorded.
Now, here’s the news:
Overnight, while you were asleep, the Justice Department began a mass purge of its website to remove references to January 6th insurrectionists. The Justice Department acknowledged removing or reclassifying online materials related to January 6 prosecutions, saying the effort was meant to reverse what it described as “weaponization” and “partisan propaganda” under the Biden administration. Here is the DOJ saying it was proud to delete the pages:
Multiple DOJ press releases and sentencing summaries tied to Capitol riot cases reportedly became inaccessible, including one involving a defendant who also faced child solicitation charges in Texas. Here is a screenshot of the now-deleted press release obtained by Meryl Kornfield. I have spent much of the morning screenshotting and archiving pages before the DOJ could delete them because rewriting history should not be an option:
Another webpage that has been scrubbed is the one announcing the indictment of Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, along with several other members of the Proud Boys. The DOJ took down the press release announcing the indictment and attempted to take down the indictment itself. I was able to grab the indictment before it was deleted. Here it is to live in perpetuity.
Additionally, the DOJ appears to have scrubbed the webpage announcing the indictment of Stewart Rhodes and several other members of the Oath Keepers. The department removed both the press release announcing the indictment and the page detailing Rhodes’ sentence, and also appeared to attempt to remove the indictment itself. I was able to preserve a copy of the indictment before it disappeared. Here it is, preserved in perpetuity.
David Dempsey, described by prosecutors as one of the most violent participants in the January 6 attack, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for assaulting police officers during the Capitol riot. Prosecutors said Dempsey repeatedly attacked officers with pepper spray, poles, crutches, and other objects while urging the mob forward and calling for politicians to be hanged. The DOJ wiped away reference to him on its website. I have it here to live in perpetuity:
Sen. Ted Cruz said Republican senators were “screaming” at acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a closed-door meeting over the Trump administration’s controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. Cruz described the meeting as one of the most heated of his Senate career, with many Republicans accusing the administration of creating a politically indefensible program that looked like “self-dealing” by Trump. The backlash was so intense that Republicans postponed a major ICE and Border Patrol funding vote amid fears that a large share of the GOP caucus would side with Democrats to restrict the fund. Meanwhile, Todd Blanche has begun to “bribe” Senators by informing them that they can apply for the weaponization fund if they would like to.
According to the New York Times, the Trump administration moved to narrow protections for assistance animals in housing, directing HUD officials to exclude emotional support animals from many disability accommodations and tighten standards for qualifying service animals. The policy change could make it easier for landlords to deny housing accommodations or evict tenants who rely on emotional support animals for psychiatric or mental health conditions. HUD officials argued the previous rules were being abused by tenants seeking to bypass pet restrictions, while fair housing advocates warned the move could affect thousands of disabled renters who depend on emotional support animals to function safely and independently.
An FDA analysis found no child deaths that could be definitively linked to Covid vaccines, contradicting earlier claims by former FDA vaccine official Vinay Prasad that multiple children had died because of the shots. The report reviewed 96 deaths reported after vaccination and concluded that none were “certainly” caused by the vaccines, though a small number were categorized as “possible” or “probable” cases where other explanations could not be ruled out. Experts cited in the report stressed that the vaccine safety database used for the review cannot by itself prove causation and noted that myocarditis linked to Covid vaccines remains rare.
A North Texas school district rescinded a job offer to a newly hired administrator after a photo of him sending a racist text message at a high school graduation went viral online. The message complained about the number of Hispanic attendees and suggested ICE should “raid” the ceremony, prompting backlash and an internal investigation by Commerce ISD. District officials said the comments did not reflect the values of the school system, which emphasized its commitment to diversity and a respectful environment for students and families.
CBS reported that the Trump administration is preparing for a possible new round of military strikes against Iran, with some U.S. military and intelligence personnel reportedly canceling weekend plans in anticipation of potential operations. Defense and intelligence officials have also begun updating recall rosters and reviewing the American military posture in the region amid concerns about possible Iranian retaliation against U.S. forces and installations.
Trump posted a map of the Middle East depicting Iran filled with the American flag alongside the caption: “United States of the Middle East?”
The Ebola outbreak in East Africa is now the third largest in history, just weeks after the public became aware of it. This morning, the White House ordered the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national soccer team to isolate in Belgium for 21 days before entering the United States for the World Cup, citing the ongoing Ebola outbreak in central Africa. Officials warned the team could be barred from the tournament if the isolation “bubble” is broken, reflecting the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive response to the outbreak. The outbreak has already caused hundreds of suspected infections and deaths, prompting new U.S. travel restrictions affecting people arriving from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Some public health experts have questioned whether the administration’s measures go beyond standard international guidance.
The CDC expanded its Ebola-related travel restrictions to allow the U.S. government to temporarily block even lawful permanent residents from reentering the country if they recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan. The move comes amid a growing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, and follows existing restrictions on foreign travelers from the affected countries. Officials warned the policy could create major confusion and logistical problems, while the CDC said the restrictions are temporary and intended to protect public health during the outbreak.
Authorities ordered about 40,000 people in Southern California to evacuate after officials warned that a tank containing a highly toxic and flammable chemical at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove could explode or leak. Fire crews said they lost control of the tank’s valves and are racing to stabilize the situation by cooling the container and testing emergency solutions suggested by experts nationwide. The chemical involved, methyl methacrylate, is used in plastics manufacturing and can cause serious health risks if released into the air. Officials described the emergency as highly unusual and said there is no known precedent for a similar situation.
A federal judge dismissed author Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump, rejecting his attempt to preemptively block her threatened $1 billion defamation suit tied to comments involving Jeffrey Epstein. The judge criticized Wolff’s legal strategy as improper “gamesmanship” and ruled that any dispute between the two must proceed through normal legal channels. Melania Trump has repeatedly denied any connection to Epstein and accused critics of spreading defamatory falsehoods, while Wolff argued the Trump family uses lawsuits and legal threats to intimidate critics and suppress speech.
An international vaccine alliance is accelerating plans to phase out certain vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long argued is unsafe. The organization, Gavi, is trying to unlock $600 million in frozen U.S. funding by offering to transition more quickly to newer vaccines that do not contain the preservative, despite mainstream scientific research finding no proven link between thimerosal and autism. Critics warn that withholding the funding could lead to renewed outbreaks of deadly diseases in poorer countries, while Kennedy’s allies say the administration is pushing for greater vaccine transparency and safety.
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson are celebrating their marriage with a small destination wedding in the Bahamas after abandoning earlier discussions about holding the ceremony at the White House. According to a CNN report, Trump Jr. and President Donald Trump both felt a White House wedding would be inappropriate given the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. The ceremony is being kept intentionally small with fewer than 50 guests and heightened security after details leaked publicly.
A gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s Shanxi province killed at least 90 people and left several others missing, according to state media. More than 240 workers were on duty at the time of the blast, and over 120 people were hospitalized as rescue teams continued search operations. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for a full investigation into the cause of the disaster, while authorities detained the person responsible for the mining company. The explosion is one of China’s deadliest mining accidents in recent years and highlights ongoing safety concerns in the country’s coal industry.
According to Politico, Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank Group reportedly donated $50 million to President Donald Trump’s presidential library foundation, making it one of the largest publicly known contributions to the project. The donation comes as companies continue seeking closer ties with the Trump administration, particularly around technology and artificial intelligence policy. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has maintained a close relationship with Trump since his first term, and the company remains a major investor in AI and semiconductor firms. The planned Trump library in Miami is expected to feature prominent Trump branding and eventually house the Boeing jet gifted to Trump by Qatar.
France has banned Israel’s far-right national security minister Ben Gvir from entering its territory following his abuse of flotilla activists:
Activists detained after attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza accused Israeli forces of beatings, tasers, attack dogs, and other mistreatment during and after their interception at sea. Members of the Global Sumud Flotilla said they were blindfolded, handcuffed, dragged, and physically assaulted while being transferred to detention facilities near Ashdod, with some alleging they were forced through a container where guards beat detainees. Israeli officials denied the allegations, calling them false and without factual basis. The incident has drawn international attention after Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly mocked detained activists, prompting criticism from several foreign governments.
See you soon.
— Aaron
