Here’s your morning news rundown—but first, a quick thank you. If you believe in this kind of journalism, please consider subscribing or becoming a supporter.
Now, let’s get into the news.
In the early morning, ICE's New Orleans office deported two families, including a pregnant mother and three young U.S. citizen children, despite their strong ties to the U.S. and serious concerns about due process. ICE isolated the families, cutting off access to attorneys and caretakers during crucial moments, violating their own guidelines for the care of minor children. One family was deported despite an urgent medical condition and pending legal action, while another lost the chance to coordinate legal relief because ICE blocked communication.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration deported a two-year-old U.S. citizen to Honduras without providing "any meaningful process," while the child’s father was urgently seeking court intervention to stop it.
A new Fox News poll shows Democrats leading Republicans 49% to 42% on the generic Congressional ballot.
Virginia Giuffre, a well-known survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, has died by suicide at the age of 41, according to her family. She passed away in Neergabby, Australia, where she had lived for several years. Giuffre was one of the first and most outspoken advocates pushing for Epstein to face criminal charges.
Pete Hegseth’s behavior has reportedly become more "erratic," with growing signs he feels "insecure" about his position and influence within the administration. Officials working around him describe him as difficult to deal with, often berating and yelling at staff. They also say his team is plagued by tension and frequent arguments, including shouting matches among senior aides.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has accused the Trump administration of weakening the judiciary following the arrest of a Milwaukee judge.
House Judiciary member Jamie Raskin called it a major escalation, warning that Trump is opening a dangerous new front in his authoritarian effort to bully, intimidate, and even impeach judges who don’t do what he wants. Raskin stressed the urgent need to protect the independence of America’s judiciary.
A funeral ceremony for the late Pope Francis wrapped up at the Vatican on Saturday, drawing over 250,000 mourners. His coffin has since been moved to Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be laid to rest in the grand basilica perched at the highest point in the city.
Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held urgent wartime talks inside the Vatican, just minutes before Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, as the White House stepped up efforts to broker a peace deal in Ukraine. Photos from the Ukrainian presidency showed the two leaders speaking closely, without aides, in the grand setting of St. Peter’s Basilica. Zelensky later thanked Trump for the “good meeting” in a social media post.
Staffers from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are working on a master database to accelerate immigration enforcement and deportations by merging sensitive data from across federal agencies, sources familiar with the plans told CNN. The project aims to create a massive centralized data hub, pulling information from agencies like the IRS, Social Security Administration, and Health and Human Services, according to sources who spoke anonymously.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
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