Good morning everyone. I hope you’re enjoying a peaceful Saturday — and hopefully without too many news updates from me (though I may have just jinxed it).
This past week brought another shock in the media world: CBS News has been rocked by yet another shake-up, with Bari Weiss now set to take the reins of editorial control. At the same time, powerful allies of the White House are snapping up social media platforms, openly working to silence voices like mine. Major media outlets are caving under pressure. Independent journalists are being targeted simply for reporting the truth. And let’s be clear — this is just the beginning.
I will not be silenced. I will not back down.
In moments like this, fearless journalism doesn’t just matter — it’s essential. But it cannot survive without you. If you believe in the importance of independent voices holding power to account, I need your support today. Subscribe — it makes all the difference, and it truly means the world.
Here’s the news you missed:
President Donald Trump announced that anyone burning the American flag will be “immediately arrested” and face a one-year prison term under his August 25, 2025 executive order, which directs enforcement of existing flag desecration laws—despite Supreme Court rulings protecting flag burning as free speech—setting up likely constitutional challenges. Donald Trump is not the legislature and cannot create penalties for crimes that are not on the books. This statement from Trump, if followed by authorities, is illegal.
An FBI agent was suspended after refusing to stage a public “perp walk” for former FBI Director James Comey, who was federally charged on September 25, 2025, with making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation—marking the first successful indictment of a major Trump-era political rival.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly fired Navy chief of staff Jon Harrison—an unusually powerful aide who had reshaped Navy bureaucracy—following the confirmation of Undersecretary Hung Cao, marking the latest in a string of top Pentagon ousters under Trump’s administration amid struggles with U.S. shipbuilding delays and internal power struggles.
Veteran national security prosecutor Michael Ben’Ary said he was fired after a pro-Trump commentator accused him online of ties to former Biden officials, warning in a farewell note that the Justice Department’s leadership under Trump prioritizes punishing perceived enemies over protecting national security.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she and her staff were denied access to an Illinois municipal building while seeking a bathroom break amid anti-ICE protests, sparking a political clash with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who accused her of misconduct, while DHS officials dismissed claims of an unannounced meeting and criticized Illinois leadership for failing to address unrest.
Noem blasted the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show, saying “the NFL sucks” and vowing “we’ll win and God will bless us,” while mocking the league as “weak” and promising “we’ll fix it.”
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the agency is cutting ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League after conservative backlash, marking a sharp break from decades of collaboration on tracking domestic extremism and hate crimes. Patel accused the groups of being partisan, citing their reports on rightwing movements, while critics warn the move undermines oversight amid rising extremism and antisemitism.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, a leading NIH scientist, just weeks after she filed a whistleblower complaint alleging the Trump administration was undermining vaccine research and defying court orders. Marrazzo, already demoted from her role as NIAID director, was dismissed without explanation as part of sweeping cuts at HHS, where Kennedy has pledged to eliminate 10,000 jobs and scrap hundreds of millions in vaccine and health research funding, deepening concerns over politicization of science and public health.
The Supreme Court, in a 6–3 ruling, cleared the way for the Trump administration to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for up to 600,000 Venezuelans. The decision overturns lower court rulings that blocked the move and could subject many to deportation. The Court’s liberal justices dissented, warning the ruling endangers lives while the administration pushes to undo Biden-era protections set to last through 2026.
Federal officials imposed an unusually broad flight restriction over Chicago, citing a “credible threat” of drone attacks against law enforcement during DHS’s “Midway Blitz” immigration raids. The restriction—spanning 15 nautical miles and lasting until Oct. 12—comes after 900+ arrests and has drawn criticism from the ACLU, which warns it blocks media oversight of ICE operations while Trump officials deploy troops and expand enforcement tactics.
A federal judge has ordered an evidentiary hearing in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia after his lawyers presented sufficient evidence suggesting he may have been vindictively prosecuted.
The Trump administration has frozen $88 million in congressionally approved funds meant to support more than 100 organizations aiding human trafficking survivors, prompting 74 advocacy, legal, and religious groups to warn Congress the cuts will “enable trafficking” and leave victims without housing, counseling, or protection. DOJ officials insist the money will eventually be reallocated in line with administration priorities, but service providers say the freeze has already shuttered critical programs, risking survivors’ safety and emboldening traffickers.
Former CDC chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry warned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services amounts to a “hostile takeover” of public health, alleging he sidelined CDC experts, promoted vaccine misinformation, and pushed to weaken immunization policies amid rising disease outbreaks.
Munich International Airport was shut down twice in 24 hours due to suspected drone sightings, disrupting thousands of passengers amid a wave of mysterious drone incursions across Europe that authorities suspect may be linked to foreign actors, prompting Germany and EU officials to draft new drone defense measures.
Kansas deputy Richard Fatherly was charged with second-degree murder after court records showed he pressed his knee into the back of handcuffed Black detainee Charles Adair for 86 seconds, causing death by mechanical asphyxia—an incident lawyers call a clear case of excessive force against a nonthreatening, ill inmate.
Sophie Roske, a 26-year-old Californian who pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh after the 2022 leak on Roe v. Wade, was sentenced to just over 8 years in prison and lifetime supervised release. Roske, who traveled to Kavanaugh’s home with weapons but ultimately called 911 on herself, apologized in court while prosecutors pushed for 30 years, citing her extensive planning and online reconnaissance of multiple justices.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli forces conducted dozens of airstrikes and shelling across Gaza City and other areas overnight—destroying 20 homes and killing civilians—despite President Trump’s appeal to halt the bombing.
Sanae Takaichi, a conservative politician and admirer of Margaret Thatcher, won Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership race, positioning her to become the country’s first female prime minister as she pledges to rebuild her scandal-hit party, tighten immigration policy, and navigate tense regional security challenges.
Iran executed six prisoners accused of carrying out attacks for Israel in its southwest Khuzestan province, part of a surge in executions following the June Iran-Israel war; rights groups say the men were Arab political detainees tortured into false confessions amid the country’s highest execution rate in decades.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
