David and I are writing to you today with some bittersweet news: we have decided to close down The News Memo, at least for the time being.

In recent months, David and I have had big life changes. David entered a missionary seminary in Rome, and my wife and I welcomed our first baby while starting a new full-time job. During this time, we have realized we are not able to keep up with the demands of writing the memo and that life is calling us elsewhere.

We should have sent this email two months ago, but it’s hard to come to grips with the end of something so fulfilling and fun to write.

It’s been a fantastic journey with all of you. We started The News Memo in 2019 as young bucks hoping to help people stay informed without being overwhelmed. What started as a Google Doc sent to family and friends became an email newsletter with thousands of dedicated readers.

Thank you all for allowing us to write this newslette…

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David and I are writing to you today with some bittersweet news: we have decided to close down The News Memo, at least for the time being.

In recent months, David and I have had big life changes. David entered a missionary seminary in Rome, and my wife and I welcomed our first baby while starting a new full-time job. During this time, we have realized we are not able to keep up with the demands of writing the memo and that life is calling us elsewhere.

We should have sent this email two months ago, but it’s hard to come to grips with the end of something so fulfilling and fun to write. Your subscription will be cancelled and automatically refunded to your account but please let us know if there are any issues at john@thenewsmemo.com

It’s been a fantastic journey with all of you. We started The News Memo in 2019 as young bucks hoping to help people stay informed without being overwhelmed. What started a…

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GetSmart Preview: The shelf life of honey is infinite

Newsbites

Venezuela military operation: The U.S. ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ to capture Maduro was extremely clandestine and carefully planned. A cyber-attack cut power to instrumental areas of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Then, 150 American planes, drones, and helicopters bombed radar and air-defense sites in order to drop off Delta Force commandos at Venezuela’s most heavily guarded military base. Maduro was captured and extracted minutes later. The whole operation took little more than 2 hours. Shortly after, President Trump posted a photo of Maduro in custody. Watch a clip of the attack here. (more below in main story)

An ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis on Wednesday amid deportation operations. According to eyewitnesses, Good was blocking ICE agents in protest of their operations. Kristi Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security, defended her agent and described the protester as having committed an “act of domestic terrorism.” The Trump Administration and many Republicans support this narrative, claiming that the woman weaponized her vehicle against ICE agents, who then responded in self-defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Police Chief Brian O’Hara, Governor Walz, and many Democrats argue that the shooting was an unnecessary escalation of violence and a murder. Watch two different angles of the incident here.

More: Minneapolis Public Schools cancelled school for the remainder of the week due to rising protests in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Catholic Speed Dating: More than 2,500 Catholic college students participated in a speed dating event while at a conference this week, breaking the Guinness World Record books. The particular event was hosted by Candid Dating, a platform designed to help Catholics find their future spouse. “Events like this help you realize dating isn’t as intimidating as it’s made out to be,” Joseph Striggle, a participant, said. “It’s just having a normal conversation with another person.” (video)

Gov. Walz drops out: On Monday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he will not run for re-election amid the rampant fraud scandal. “Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota,” Walz said. The news came shortly after Nick Shirley posted a video online that received hundreds of millions of views online exposing daycare fraud in Minnesota.

More: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is expected to throw her hat in the race for governor. There are currently 11 Republicans running for Governor in 2026.

The scale of MN fraud: Officially, the tally from convicted fraudsters exceeds $250 million in stolen funds, but that number could reach as high as $9B in the future. In a recent press conference, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson announced new indictments in the ongoing fraud investigation. “This is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering, industrial-scale fraud.” According to Thompson, 14 Medicaid services currently undergoing audit cost MN $18 billion dollars since 2018. Thompson predicts that a significant amount of the money “on the order of half or more” was fraudulently billed across the programs.

More: JD Vance held a fiery press conference on Thursday addressing the fraud in Minnesota.

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U.S Successfully Arrests Venezuelan President Maduro in Two-Hour Military Operation

What’s going on?
On January 3, the U.S. captured and extracted Venezuelan President-Dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Currently, they are both detained in New York and face prosecution from the United States Department of Justice on narcoterrorist charges. Maduro pleads not guilty and claims he is a “kidnapped” prisoner of war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified after the strike that “we are at war against drug trafficking organizations. It’s not a war against Venezuela.”

• Read the official indictments against Maduro here.

“America will never allow foreign powers to rob our people or drive us…out of our own hemisphere,” Trump said following the attack and kidnapping. “The future will be determined by the ability to protect commerce and territory and resources that are core to national security.”

How it went down
The U.S. ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ to capture Maduro was extremely clandestine and carefully planned. A cyber-attack cut power to instrumental areas of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Then, 150 American planes, drones, and helicopters bombed radar and air-defense sites in order to drop off Delta Force commandos at Venezuela’s most heavily guarded military base. Maduro was captured and extracted minutes later. The whole operation took little more than 2 hours.

Some context: how did this all start?
President Maduro first came to power in Venezuela in 2013. Since 2014, over 8 million Venezuelans (approximately a quarter of the population) left the country due to critical economic instability, which has been recognized as a humanitarian crisis. Maduro received much of the blame for this crisis amid accusations and reports of abuse. After a fraudulent 2019 election, the U.S. and many other nations refused to recognize Maduro as a legitimate president.

Here’s a brief timeline leading to his capture

• In 2020, Maduro was indicted in a narco-terrorism and cocaine-trafficking conspiracy.

• In 2024, he won what is largely recognized as another illegitimate election riddled with fraud.

• In 2025, U.S. pressure on Maduro grew. The Trump Administration designated the Venezuelan-based Cartel de los Soles, as a foreign terrorist organization and declared Maduro as its ring-leader.

• Afterwards, the largest U.S. military build up in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis began to amass.

• Since September of 2025, the U.S. launched 35 known strikes against alleged narcoterrorist boats.

• Simultaneously, covert CIA operations began to monitor Maduro in preparation for his capture.

• In December, tensions escalated with a U.S. barricade of sanctioned oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast and culminated with the surprise operation last week.

The Controversy
Both allies and adversaries of the U.S. voiced their opposition to the military operation that ousted Maduro. Critics claim it broke international law by disregarding Venezuela’s sovereignty and accuse the Trump Administration of reverting to force and imperialism for the sake of oil access as Venezuela contains the largest oil reserves in the world. Others see justice served to Maduro and argue the operation was a crucial law enforcement function for the good of the U.S. and the Venezuelan people.

At an emergency meeting of the U.N Security Council, the Ambassador of Venezuela and the Ambassador of the U.S. summed up their positions as follows.

• “If the kidnapping of a head of state, the bombing of a sovereign country and the open threat of further armed action are tolerated or downplayed, the message sent to the world is a devastating one: namely that the law is optional, and that force is the true arbiter of international relations.” - Ambassador of Venezuela to the U.N.

• “If the United Nations in this body confers legitimacy on an illegitimate narco-terrorist with the same treatment in this charter of a democratically elected president or head of state, what kind of organization is this?” - Ambassador of the U.S. to the U.N.

In the U.S. and around the world, protests and celebrations of Maduro’s capture have taken to the streets. Watch this video to see examples of both.

Will the U.S. now run Venezuela?
Delcy Rodriguez, former vice president and confidant to Maduro, was sworn in as interim president. President Trump, in his national address after Operation Absolute Resolve, declared “we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”

He also expressed plans to allow American oil companies to access the oil reserves and revitalize the badly degraded oil infrastructure. In an interview, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described further U.S. involvement in Venezuela as a continued enforcement of an oil quarantine to leverage necessary change. Currently, an occupation of Venezuela has not taken place although President Trump indicated that he is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”

Trump reiterated his interest in Greenland and Cuba as key resources and strategic positions in the Western Hemisphere. The State Department posted on X, “This is OUR Hemisphere.”

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GetSmart Preview: The color of snow is not actually white

Newsbites

Graph of the week: More children are struggling with obesity than malnutrition for the first time in history

Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis: On November 21st, over 300 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted at gunpoint from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri Village. The majority of kids are still reported missing to this day. The recent wave of kidnappings in Nigeria has been executed primarily by bandits and Islamist Militants seeking ransom payments. In hopes of helping, the Nigerian government made it illegal to pay ransom payments, leaving families with missing loved ones in a nearly impossible situation. Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were abducted in 997 incidents across Nigeria, and at least 762 were killed, according to SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused consulting firm. Because of the instability and fear of abduction, 18 million of Nigeria’s 105 million children do not attend school.

More: Nigeria is the 6th most populous country in the world and Africa’s largest oil producer. Mass abductions, widespread terrorism, and religious persecution of Christians have greatly troubled the country, which now faces a growing hunger crisis.

Pope Leo Urges the U.S. to Dialogue: “There is this danger, this possibility, that there could be an action, an operation, including an invasion of Venezuelan territory,” Pope Leo told reporters on a flight home from Beirut. “I again believe it is better to seek dialogue within this pressure, including economic pressure, but looking for another way to bring about change, if that is what the United States decides to do.” The U.S. has struck at least 21 boats in the Caribbean, killing over 80 people. They have also sent 15,000 troops, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, and F-35 jets to the Caribbean in a major military buildup. The Trump Administration argues Venezuela kills more than 300,000 Americans a year due to drug trafficking and is seeking to oust the country’s leader, Nicholas Maduro.

The government of Australia has implemented a social media ban for kids 16 and under. As of December 10, tech companies like Google, Meta, TikTok, and X will be forced to take “reasonable steps” to comply or face a $33M fine. Australia (pop. 28M) is the first country to implement such a restriction. eSafety commissioner Julie Inman said the platforms have “powerful, harmful, deceptive design features that even adults are powerless to fight against. What chance do our children have?” An Australian government study found that 96% of children between the ages of 10 and 15 have social media accounts.

More: Denmark has proposed similar legislation to block social media for kids 15 and under, and Norway is also pursuing something similar.

Shooting of National Guard: Two National Guard soldiers were shot at close range in downtown D.C. last Wednesday. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died shortly after, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, sustained life-threatening injuries and is currently hospitalized. The two soldiers were on patrol as a part of the Trump Administration’s effort to crack down on crime in American cities, including Washington, D.C. Police have arrested a suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan, who will be charged with first-degree murder. The shooting has prompted multiple announcements from the Trump Administration to curb immigration from Afghanistan and other countries.

More: Read a collection of written tributes to Sarah Beckstrom, who had volunteered to work over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Lethal boat strikes in question: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is under pressure after a deadly strike on a drug cartel boat on September 2, which killed 9 people. The Washington Post reported that after the first deadly strike on the drug boat, a second attack was ordered, which killed two survivors who were in the water. “I would not have wanted that, a second strike,” Trump responded to reporters. “The first strike was very lethal, it was fine.” Trump continues to back Hegseth amid the increased criticism.

tinybites

• Travelers who do not have a “Real ID” will be required to pay a $45 fee to get through TSA security at the airport starting on February 1, 2026.

• Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros for $72B, although it’s unclear whether the acquisition will pass anti-trust laws.

• The White House published a website to document “false and misleading” media coverage by identifying a “media offender of the week” and recording an “offender hall of shame.”

• Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released unseen images and videos of Epstein’s Island residence (photos).

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned after her fallout with President Trump, citing failures of the MAGA movement and the “Political Industrial Complex” in her statement.

• A recent study demonstrated an association between children receiving a cellphone by age 12 and poor health outcomes such as obesity, depression, and sleep loss.

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Minnesota $1B Fraud Case Draws National Attention

What’s going on?
New reports this week detailing the massive “Feeding our Future” fraud scheme put Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz, and the Somali immigrants at the center of the national conversation.

In what the Justice Department termed “the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country,” dozens of people have been convicted of profiting over $250M by claiming to have provided millions of meals to children. Other reports, which include fraud in other programs, say the theft could reach as much as $1B once the investigation is completed.

The focus has been on a now-defunct Minnesota nonprofit organization called Feeding Our Future, which registered feeding sites with local businesses. State agencies reimbursed the organization for invoices claiming to have fed tens of thousands of school children. In reality, the meals were not provided, and the owners bought luxury cars and homes with hundreds of millions of stolen dollars.

Overall, 86 people have been charged with fraud. 78 of the 86 defendants are Somali immigrants who live in Minnesota. It has also been alleged that some of the fraud money was sent back to Al-Shabaab, a militant terrorist group based in Somalia.

Did Governor Walz ignore the fraud?
Over 400 employees at the Minnesota Department of Human Services sent out a post on X claiming that Governor Walz is “100% responsible” for allowing the fraud, which they claim was brought to his attention multiple times. The post said Walz threatened whistleblowers and their families. This has been reported by Fox News, Newsweek, and Alpha News. The credibility of the post and its representation of 400 actual employees is disputed.

Trump directs ICE to the Twin Cities
Trump responded to the news, saying, “I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you…and we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking garbage into our country.” He continued, “They’ve destroyed our country, and all they do is complain, complain, complain.”

Trump threatened to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, and Homeland Security announced on Thursday that the recent “operation metro surge“ conducted by ICE has already arrested criminals in Minneapolis. 5 out of 12 are from Somalia.

Although most of the 80,000 Somalians in Minnesota are American citizens, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE are likely to target visa fraud. Kristi Noem, the director, said about 50% of the Somali visas in Minnesota are fraudulent.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a federal investigation into whether any money collected by the scheme was sent back to Al-Shabaab, the Islamic militant group in Somalia.

Minnesota leadership says they will not comply
Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Minneapolis will not comply with ICE raids and that Somalis should “dial 911” if a federal agent shows up at their house.

In a public effort to show support for the Somalians, Minneapolis Mayor Frey ate at a Somali restaurant and spoke in Somali mid-speech to reporters.

Here are some of their quotes:

• Governor Walz: “We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime. But pulling a PR stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem” (link).

• Congresswoman Ilhan Omar: “My message to Trump: Your message of bigotry won’t work. Somali Americans are here to stay” (link).

• Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey: “Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the country. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family — and they are welcome in our city. Nothing Donald Trump does will ever change that” (link).

GetSmart: The color of snow is not what you think it is

Did you know that snow isn’t actually white? Individual snow crystals are translucent, but when they amass in the billions, light scatters off their tiny surfaces, creating the white appearance we know. Snow is technically colorless, but can collect dust or algae, which gives it a strange color. Sometimes, orange snow or pink (watermelon) snow covers the ground. And remember, don’t eat the yellow snow.

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GetSmart Preview: The most expensive piece of modern art just sold in New York

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GetSmart Preview: Music therapy as a cure to surgery pain?

Newsbites

Government reopens: The longest-ever government shutdown of 43 days ended this week after six Democrats joined Republicans to pass a spending bill. The shutdown left about 1.4M federal employees unpaid, significantly disrupted airport efficiency, and stalled certain low-income SNAP benefit programs across the country. President Trump signed the legislation at his desk, calling it a “great day.” The legislation covers backpay for all federal employees. (video)

More: Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem handed out $10,000 bonus checks to TSA airport security officers who did not call in sick during the shutdown and continued to work their jobs without realizing they would be paid back. (video)

President Trump threatened to sue the BBC for $1B after deceptive edits making it look like Trump called for violence during his speech on January 6 were discovered. Their episode, which aired one week before the 2024 election, put two clips together that made it sound like Trump called for violence. In the original raw video of the speech on Jan. 6, Trump said the following: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” In the BBC’s edit, he said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol…and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.” Those two lines were about 50 minutes apart in the actual speech. (video)

More: BBC Chairman Samir Shah apologized Monday for the crisis engulfing the broadcaster, a day after Director-General Tim Davie and News Chief Executive Deborah Turness announced their departures amid White House criticism. Trump still says he will seek monetary payback.

President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China meet for the first time in 6 years. On October 30th, the leaders of the two biggest economies in the world met in South Korea to discuss a trade deal. Tensions have been high as retaliatory tariffs and sanctions brought the two nations into a trade war. While Trump and Xi agreed to a truce last May, this recent meeting marks a significant development towards a more stable trade agreement.

More: The high-stakes, meeting between Trump and Xi was the climax of Trump’s week of diplomacy in Asia where he attended the Asean summit in Malaysia and visited Japan and South Korea.

Epstein Files Update: On Wednesday, Democrats released new emails from Jeffery Epstein that reference Trump. One refers to Trump as “that dog that hasn’t barked,” and another mentions that “of course he [Trump] knew about the girls.” In retaliation, Republicans accused the Democrats of picking click-bait emails to smear Trump and released 20,000+ pages of other Epstein emails and documents. Prominent figures such as Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew are mentioned in the emails, but certain emails, particularly the ones released by the Democrats, indicate Trump may have had more ties to Epstein than previously known. The emails provide no proof of wrongdoing, and Epstein was a notorious liar with a history of manipulation. However, the emails heighten the anticipation and demand for the unreleased Epstein files. View the emails here.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa–a previous U.S.-designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head– met with President Trump on Monday, marking the first-ever visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House. U.S. officials announced after the visit that Syria has joined the mission to defeat the Islamic State. The visit marks a dramatic turnaround in the relationship between the U.S. and Syria. In reference to the meeting, Trump said, “We want to see Syria be successful along with the rest of the Middle East. So, I have confidence that he [al-Sharaa] will be able to do the job.” Trump also described al-Sharaa as “tough” and “attractive.”

More: Trump sprays Syrian president with his own cologne, asks how many wives he has

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“Forgotten” War in Sudan Reaches a Crisis of Epic Proportions

Why it matters
While the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have dominated global focus, the two-year-long civil war in Sudan has turned into what the United Nations (UN) has called the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. More than 150,000 people have died as a direct result of the conflict, about 12 million have fled their homes (a quarter of the population), and an estimated 15 million children require humanitarian assistance. Famine and claims of genocide plague the Darfur and Kordofan regions.

Why the world has “forgotten” this war

• The situation in Sudan has been extremely dangerous and difficult for journalists to access.

• The major global powers are less politically involved in Sudan than in Ukraine and Gaza.

• The current civil war is a continuation of an unstable and tumultuous history of Sudan. Consequently, much of the world did not take the outbreak of the war as a novel concern until it developed into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the 21st century.

More: Read more about the history and build-up of the war here.

Some context
In the spring of 2023, war broke out between rival military factions in the country’s capital of Khartoum. The two factions are the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) lead by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) lead by Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. In October 2021, they jointly staged a coup and overthrew the military-civilian government of that time, but in the resulting power vacuum, both generals refused to back down from power, leading to the bloody civil war.

Throughout the war, crimes by both the SAF and RSF have been reported, but there has been a focused concern on alleged ethnic-cleansing and genocide of non-Arab groups perpetrated by the RSF.

Satellite imagery shows “piles of bodies”
Over the past two years, the RSF has mainly been on the offensive capturing and laying waste to SAF-held cities. At the end of October, 2025, the RSF captured the major city of el-Fasher after an 18-month siege.

Thousands of civilians remained trapped in the city as the militia took control. Communication lines have been cut, and the current situation is murky. However, satellite imagery and first-hand reports from Sudanese civilians indicate that a massacre—particularly at the Saudi Hospital—has taken place.

Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab has referred to satellite imagery of “piles of bodies executed en masse” and “apparent pools of blood.” The UN has confirmed credible reports of “summary executions” and sexual violence.

• More: View the satellite images here.

The global interest in Sudan
Despite its general poverty, Sudan—the 10th most populous country in Africa—contains desirable resources, such as gold and gum arabic (a key industrial food ingredient) as well as strategic positioning along the Nile and Red Sea.

U.S. intelligence surmises that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been providing support for the RSF and that Egypt has been supporting the SAF. Both nations have vested interest in the resources of Sudan. Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have also supported the SAF. Russia has supported the SAF while a Russian military company, the Wagner Group, has supported the RSF.

The U.S. does not officially back either side but wants to ensure that the country does not become a foothold for adversarial nations.

Hope for Peace
In an attempt to initiate a peace treaty, the U.S. brought together Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia into a mediating group called the Quad. The RSF agreed to the Quad’s proposed truce last Thursday, but the SAF say a truce will only be possible after the RSF withdraws from civilian areas and surrenders their weapons. As numerous cease-fires have failed, the end to the war still seems far away, but an increase in alarm for the crisis and coverage of the war places pressure on leading nations to work towards an end to the conflict.

GetSmart: Music Therapy During Surgery Has Surprising Results

New study finds that certain kinds of music therapy used during surgery reduce the need for anesthetic drugs (link). “These findings show that this is more than just simple background music, rather an integration of a novel intervention into anesthetic practice,” says Dr. Tanvi Goel, principal investigator and anesthesiologist.

What We’re Listening To

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Dear Subscribers,

I apologize for the silence. My wife and I welcomed our baby boy into the world. I have been changing dirty diapers, learning to swaddle, and not paying attention to the news in the slightest.

That said, we will be back next week and have exciting things planned for 2026.

See you again soon.
John

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GetSmart Preview: Denmark has more pigs than people

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GetSmart Preview: The busiest pedestrian intersection in the world is really busy

+ a new section at the bottom of the memo: “What we’re listening to”

Newsbites

Graph of the week: The erosion of the mid-range jump shot in the NBA is startling

The note passed to Trump: As negotiations between Hamas and Israel were being finalized, President Trump was in a roundtable meeting with conservatives discussing Antifa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slipped him a handwritten note that read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” Trump read the note while the meeting continued, and said, “I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly.” (video)

Super Bowl halftime show: Turning Point USA, the conservative movement founded by Charlie Kirk, will be hosting an “All American Halftime Show” as an alternative to Bad Bunny. The post on X says the performance will support “faith, family and freedom.” The Puerto Rican Grammy winning artist cancelled shows in the U.S in recent months in protest of ICE and the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. Turning Point USA said particular details of the show are “coming soon.”

Palisade Fire arrest made: A 29-year-old man, Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested for igniting a fire in the Palisades, killing 12 people and burning 23,000 acres of land. Authorities say he ignited a fire at 12:03 a.m. at a hiking trail in state park hillside. He then called 911 to report the fire, drove two uber passengers to their destination, and returned to film the blaze on his phone. He was charged with the “destruction of property by means of fire.” The charge carries a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. Some of the evidence includes his ChatGPT prompts asking for specific images of a city on fire.

More: Here is the official press conference of California’s Acting U.S Attorney explaining the details.

States vs Trump: President Trump sent 200 National Guard troops to the state of Illinois on Wednesday in an effort to assist in protecting ICE agents amid protests and attempting to crack down on crime. A U.S. District Judge placed a temporary two-week hold on Trump’s national guard deployment on Thursday. In Portland, hundreds of federal agents, including Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem, are performing immigration raids and facing large anti-ICE protests in the streets. Although Trump has not sent in the national guard to Portland, there is a substantial number of federal agents assisting in the raids.

More: Read our main story below to understand what ICE has been doing across the country.

tiny-bites

• Gold prices hit $4,000 per troy ounce for the first time ever, marking a 50% increase in just the last year.

• New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump for $450M for inflating the assets of his company, has been indicted for mortgage fraud.

• Elon Musk is building massive xAI data centers in Memphis.

• Paramount has bought The Free Press, a news website, for $150M.

• The government shutdown has hit 10 days as Republicans and Democrats are not able to reach a funding agreement.

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Hamas and Israel Agree to Phase I of Trump’s Peace Deal

“All Americans should be proud of the role that our country has played in bringing this terrible conflict to an end.” - President Trump

What happened and how it went down
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to phase I of President Trump’s peace plan to end the war.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”

The first sign of a finalized agreement came when President Trump was in a roundtable meeting with conservatives discussing Antifa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slipped President Trump a handwritten note that read, “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” Trump read the note while the meeting continued, and said, “I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly.”

• Video: People around the world celebrate the news of the peace deal.

The deal, which was executed in large part by President Trump’s special negotiation team that includes former real-estate developer Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, is the first step in potentially securing unprecedented peace in the region. Kushner and Witkoff were in Egypt for three days helping lead negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

Here’s what phase I includes:

1. Release of hostages
   Hamas has agreed to release and return all of the hostages who are still alive to Israel (likely around 20). President Trump spoke to Fox News on the phone and said the hostages will likely go home on Monday.

2. Return bodies of deceased hostages
   Hamas also pledged to return the bodies of the deceased hostages (around 28) back to Israel. Reports say they will require 10 days to locate the deceased bodies. Trump said this particular part of the deal will be a “complicated process.”

3. Israel to release Palestinian prisoners

   After the hostages are returned, Israel is expected to release around 250 Palestinian prisoners as well as 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza. Hamas is pushing for big-name controversial prisoners to be released including Marwan Barghouti, who was instrumental in starting the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.

4. Israel will withdraw troops

   Although clear map lines have not been drawn yet, Israel will withdraw its troops from about 70% of Gaza.

5. The Rafah crossing in Egypt will be opened back up

   The crossing between Egypt and Palestine’s Gaza Strip will be opened back up to facilitate aid deliveries and the entry and exit of Palestinians.

How does this work moving forward?
On Thursday, 200 U.S. troops traveled to Israel to help secure a stable ceasefire. The U.S. command force is expected to be joined by military members from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The command will help facilitate the flow of aid back into Gaza and begin the eventual transition of a new civilian led government in Gaza.

How was a deal finalized?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised President Trump for his negotiating skills in brokering the deal. “I don’t know of any American president in the modern era that could have made this possible,” he told reporters at a White House cabinet meeting on Thursday. “The president had some extraordinary phone calls and meetings that required a high degree of intensity and commitment and made this happen.” (video).

Israel was facing intense scrutiny in their own country with 66% of Israeli citizens favoring an end to the war. Hamas was also struggling militarily at the end and was forced into a corner due to Israel’s intense military operations and assassinations of some of their top leaders.

By the Numbers: ICE Raids Across the Country Grow

The deportation numbers at large
2 million illegal immigrants have been deported or have self-deported since President Trump took office, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, there have been zero illegal entries into the country in the past four months.

A new study from the United Nations found that Trump’s immigration policies have led to a 97% reduction in illegal immigration heading to the U.S. from Central America. The study also found that 49% of immigrants that stopped their journey north did so because of Trump’s immigration policies believing it would be impossible to enter.

• 1.6 million of the deportations were voluntary. The DHS announced a program through the CBP app that gave illegal immigrants travel assistance and a $1,000 check if they voluntarily left the country. In the app, Director Kristi Noem told users, “If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest.”

• 400,000 of the deportations used actual force and arrest, including ICE raids on buildings, workplaces, farms and other venues. The cost of these deportations that include arresting, detaining and deporting individuals cost about $17,000 per person.

Ramping up ICE hires
The “big beautiful bill” that was passed in July has allotted specific funding for DHS to increase its operations around the country. In the past month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has received more than 150,000 applications to become ICE agents and has made 18,000 tentative job offers thus far. For context, the U.S. currently has around 21,000 ICE agents across all the states today.

GetSmart: The busiest pedestrian intersection in the world is really busy

Nearly 400,000 pedestrians cross the street in Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo every day. On busy days, it’s estimated to reach 500,000 people a day. Hosted in the busiest part of Tokyo, it features 5 separate cross walks that are all active at the same time.

What We’re Listening To

Harvard’s Arthur C. Brooks says letting your mind wander fuels insight and protects against depression.

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GetSmart Preview: The “Banna Boys” in Ethiopia use stilts to avoid wild animals

Newsbites

Graph of the week: Opioid overdoses are one of the top ways Americans die

Gas explosion in NYC: A section of a high-rise building in New York City collapsed on Wednesday after a gas explosion in the boiler room (video). As of today, no one has been reported injured or dead. The building, which houses 3,462 people, was built in 1966 and is part of the NYCHA public housing initiative to provide housing to low-income families. NYC Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that October 1 is the day buildings turn on the boiler systems in New York and that an investigation into what happened is underway. He also said the public housing units are supposed to check the boiler systems for safety in the Summer.

Israel has hired Brad Parscale, Trump’s former campaign manager in 2016 and 2020, to create pro-Israel social media content in the U.S. The $6M contract says Parscale’s agency will provide “strategic communications, planning, and media services in support of Client’s engagement by the State of Israel to develop and execute a nationwide campaign in the United States to combat antisemitism.” Israel expects the content to reach 50M people monthly at a minimum and wants the content to be “tailored to Gen Z audiences across platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, podcasts, and other relevant digital and broadcast outlets.” (video of Netanyahu speaking on the matter)

More: The news comes as support for Israel among young people continues to fall at high rates.

Netflix Boycott: “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” Elon Musk wrote to his 227M followers. The streaming service recently released an animated children’s show, “Dead End: Paranormal Park,” whose main character is a teenage transgender individual. Musk continues to repost screenshots of individuals cancelling their accounts. It is unclear how big a hit their subscription base has taken, although their stock dropped about 2% on Wednesday after Musk’s initial tweet.

More: Musk has a child, Vivian Wilson, who is transgender. In an interview in 2024, he said, “I lost my Son, they call it dead naming for a reason, so my Son, Xavier is dead. Killed by the woke mind virus. So I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that.” (video)

Immigration raid in Chicago: At 1 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 300 federal agents snuck up in military vehicles and rental moving trucks to an apartment building in the south side of Chicago. 37 undocumented immigrants suspected of being in the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were arrested (video). The DHS’s operation “Midway Blitz” has arrested over 800 illegal immigrants in the city of Chicago in the last month. Here is a list of the criminals who have been arrested.

Insight: A Google map link with the address of the building that was raided.

Shooting in Michigan Mormon Church: A forty-year-old man drove his truck, flying two American flags, into a Mormon Church and began firing bullets. Four people died and several others were injured, including eight hospitalized with serious conditions. The alleged shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford, died after gunfire exchange with law enforcement. He was a husband and father of a small child. He also served in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008. White House Press Secretary said the shooter was “an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith.” The Church was also set on fire, and numerous churches around the area received bomb threats the same day. (more)

Congress will reconvene today (Friday, October 3) to vote on a spending resolution and resolve the 3-day government shutdown. In short, Democrats want more funding for Medicaid and healthcare programs, while Republicans see this as an opportunity to slash government spending and wasteful programs.

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Secretary Pete Hegseth Makes Sweeping Changes at the Department of War

Some context
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has made substantial changes to the U.S. Military policy and culture in the past nine months, drawing praise and criticism.

On Tuesday, U.S. Military leaders from around the world convened in Quantico military base in Virginia. Hegseth’s speech went viral online, especially for his comments regarding “fat generals” and adhering to higher standards of physical fitness. “We became the woke department,” Hegseth said. “But not anymore.”

• Links: Full speech to generals from Secretary Hegseth

Here are some of the changes he announced.

‘War Department’ Name change
President Trump, under the guidance of Secretary Hegseth, rebranded the previously known Department of Defense as the War Department in an executive order earlier this month.

• Quote from speech: “The era of the Department of Defense is over…from this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: War fighting. Preparing for war and preparing to win.”

No more “fat” generals
Hegseth introduced a new combat field test requiring combat troops to perform it anytime, anywhere with full gear, and mandates that all combat personnel meet a gender-neutral fitness standard scoring above 70%.

• Quote from speech: “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It’s a bad look. It is bad, and it’s not who we are.” (video)

No more beards
Hegseth banned beards and unique hair grooming across the board.

• Quote: “No more beardos. The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done. Simply put, if you do not meet the male level physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test or don’t want to shave and look professional, it’s time for a new position or a new profession.”

“Toxic leaders” policy to be reviewed
Hegseth announced a review of the toxic leaders policy, which he argues has made it too difficult for leaders to enforce policies and standards.

• Quote: “Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

No more DEI
Hegseth announced the closure of DEI initiatives across the military, including specific offices and identity months that have been recognized in recent years.

• Quote: “No more identity months, DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction or gender delusions,” he said. “As I’ve said before, and I’ll say again, we are done with that s---.”

GetSmart: The Boys In Ethiopia Who Use Stilts to Avoid Wild Animals and to Become Men

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GetSmart Preview: The Final Blockbuster Store is Still Hanging On

Newsbites

Graph of the week: For the vast majority of people in the world, same-sex marriage is illegal.

Witch Curse on Charlie Kirk: A Catholic priest prayed over the Kirk family the night before he was assassinated, according to journalist Megyn Kelly. The prayer was in response to a Jezebel article posted two weeks earlier titled: “We Paid Some Etsy Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk.” The subtitle read, “Jezebel is more than happy to be the hag of his nightmares.” Kirk’s wife was distressed by the article, which has since been removed, detailing several witches on Etsy collaborating to curse the 31-year-old political activist and bring him harm. The website has since deleted the piece and taken steps to protect itself legally.

Charlie Kirk memorial service: More than 60,000 people packed the State Farm Stadium near Phoenix to celebrate and honor the life of Charlie Kirk. The 5-hour-long service centered on the theme of Kirk’s Christian Faith. The highlight of the evening came during Erika Kirk’s speech when she forgave the alleged assassin (video). “I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do,” Kirk said with tears.

Links to individual speeches: (Erika Kirk, President Trump, Vice-President Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, Tucker Carlson)

Major HB1 Visa Overhaul: The Trump Administration will be adding a $100,000 fee to any company hiring a foreign employee using the H1-B system. Previously, it cost between $5 - $10k. The program, which has been in place since 1990, allows foreign professionals with a college degree and a valid job offer to work in the U.S. for up to six years. Holders are also eligible for a green card if an employer or family member is willing to sponsor them. President Trump argues the large fee will encourage employers to hire U.S. citizens rather than foreigners. The new one-time fee only applies to new applicants.

Amazon will be paying a whopping $2.5B dollar settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, ending a two-year-long dispute. The FTC claimed Amazon tricked customers into signing up for Prime and intentionally made it hard to cancel. $1B will be paid as a civil penalty, and $1.5B will be paid back to Amazon customers. “Today, the Trump-Vance FTC made history and secured a record-breaking, monumental win for the millions of Americans who are tired of deceptive subscriptions that feel impossible to cancel,” said FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson. Amazon claimed it did nothing wrong and made changes such as removing the “No, I don’t want free shipping” button during the check-out process to comply with the FTC’s demands.

President Trump signed an executive order designating the left-wing group Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization.” The order reads, “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.” Antifa was influential in the 2020 George Floyd riots. They generally wear all black with masks when they show up at events.

Trump speaks at the UN: President Trump gave a 1+ hour speech to the world leaders at the UN this week, boasting about America being “the hottest country anywhere in the world.” He reiterated the U.S. would not recognize Palestine as a state because the “rewards would be too great for Hamas’ terrorists for their atrocities.” He also called out European countries for allowing mass migration, saying, “You’re destroying your countries.”

More: The escalator and teleprompter both failed President Trump during his visit to the UN meeting, sparking conspiracies online about whether it was intentionally done. In response, Trump said, “These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”

James Comey Indicted: Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for lying under oath to Congress and obstruction of congressional proceedings. Comey was instrumental in promoting the Russia-gate scandal during President Trump’s first term. “No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.” Comey posted a video after saying, “I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial.” (video)

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Shooting at Dallas ICE Field Offices Leaves One Dead and Two Injured

What happened?
A man began indiscriminately shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas on Wednesday morning. Three detainees of ICE were hit, two of whom are in critical condition, and one who died. The gunman, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, died of a self-inflicted gunshot afterwards.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated “as an act of targeted violence” and released a photo of the bullet casings on X depicting the words “ANTI ICE.” The alleged shooter also left a handwritten note that read, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?”

Jahn had recently downloaded a document online titled “Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management,” which listed the locations of all the ICE locations. Between September 23 and 24, Jahn made several searches regarding ballistics and “Charlie Kirk shot video.” In late August, Jahn “searched apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents.”

FBI and Homeland Security respond
“For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed,” Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem said. “Comparing ICE day in and day out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences.”

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote, “These despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off,” Patel said. “We are only miles from Prairieland, Texas, where just two months ago, an individual ambushed a separate ICE facility targeting their officers. It has to end, and the FBI and our partners will lead these investigative efforts to see to it that those who target our law enforcement are pursued and brought to the fullest extent of justice.”

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President Trump Says Pregnant Women Should Stop Taking Tylenol

“The meteoric rise in autism is among the most alarming public health developments in history. There’s never been anything like this.” - President Trump

Some context
On Monday, the Trump Administration held a press conference with the aim of announcing three major items, each of which we will go through in this article:

1. The discovery of a drug called leucovorin and its potential to treat autism symptoms

2. A notice to physicians about the risk of using acetaminophen for pregnant women

3. The announcement of the NIH Data Science Initiative, with $50M funding to expand research into autism.

Drug called Leucovorin could help with autism symptoms
The not-well-known medicine called “Leucovorin” is being promoted by the Trump Administration as an “amazing” drug to help with autistic symptoms. Several small studies found Leucovorin to improve verbal and social skills among autistic children. Leucovorin was originally developed to help patients recovering from chemotherapy. It’s a folate family member of vitamin B9, which can be found in many foods. Although many scientists and doctors agree that the treatment is promising, the studies cited by the Trump Administration are fairly small and will likely be researched in more vigorous detail.

• Insight: Nonverbal child with autism speaks first words after using the Leucovorin drug

Trump says pregnant women should stop taking Tylenol
President Trump urged pregnant women to stop taking Tylenol, saying it increases the likelihood of autism. “Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it. It’s not good.” The White House followed up with studies from Johns Hopkins University, Harvard, and others that link frequent use of acetaminophen during pregnancy with an increase in autism and ADHD.

“They [HHS] are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary,” Trump said, adding that women should only take it if it is absolutely necessary due to a high fever.

Trump listed off numbers regarding growing rates of autism diagnoses in the U.S., which he called one of the “most alarming medical developments in history.”

• 1 in 31 U.S. children (3.2%) born in 2014 are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

• Sharp increase from 1 in 36 just two years earlier.

• Prevalence nearly 5 times higher than when the CDC began tracking in 2000 (1 in 150).

• Boys disproportionately affected: 1 in 20 (5%).

• California highest prevalence: 1 in 12.5.

See the full list of statistics provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy Junior Announces $50M in research money to study autism causes
The Trump Administration also announced a new initiative called the “Autism Data Science Initiative” that will use “large-scale data resources to explore contributors to the causes and rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder.” $50M will support 13 different research projects in getting to the bottom of the skyrocketing diagnosis of autism.

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Newsbites

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by .25% on Wednesday marking the first cut in over nine months. A narrow majority of Fed officials expect two more cuts in October and December. Fed Chair Jerome Powell cited a slowing job market with fewer people being hired as the reason for the change.

Simplified: Cutting interest rates makes it cheaper to take out a loan for a business, a house, or a credit card. The general economic idea is to spur the economy by encouraging more spending and business investment, which could lead to more hiring. The risk is an increase in overall spending and heightened inflation.

President Trump and First Lady Melania made a state visit to the UK, hosted by King Charles III. Great Britain rolled out the red carpet for President Trump with an elaborate experience. The day included a military parade with more than 100 horses and 1,000 soldiers (video). It concluded with a fancy banquet inside the state dining room where King Charles and Trump exchanged toasts honoring one another and cementing a partnership between the U.S. and the UK.

More: Trump has long been fascinated by the Royal family. During his first presidential term, one of his highlights was visiting the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Air Force One traffic control scare: A Spirit Airlines flight was scolded by air traffic control for being too close to Air Force One during a flight on Tuesday. Air Force One, carrying President Trump and Melania, was en route to a state visit in the UK, while the Spirit Airlines flight was headed to Boston. Audio from the traffic control team can be heard, “Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right IMMEDIATELY! … Pay attention! Get off the iPad!” A Spirit Airlines spokesperson said the flight followed proper safety procedures and landed safely.

Erika Kirk elected: Turning Point USA unanimously elected Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s wife, to be the next CEO and Chair of the Board. According to multiple people inside the organization, Charlie said if anything ever happened to him, he wanted Erika to take the lead. Just two days after Charlie's death, Erika Kirk gave a heartfelt and passionate speech about her husband's death, promising to grow the organization to be bigger than it’s ever been. (video)

More: Since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Turning Point USA has received 62,000+ requests from high school and college students nationwide to start a chapter or get involved with an existing chapter.

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The Aftermath of the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

Alleged shooter arrested and charged
Tyler Robinson, 22, was found and arrested 33 hours after allegedly assassinating Charlie Kirk. He has been charged with 1st-degree aggravated murder and several other counts. Prosecutors have affirmed they will seek the death penalty. Video footage from the court appearance shows Robinson wearing an anti-suicide smock that is supposed to prevent him from harming himself in prison.

How was he found?
Robinson's parents played an important role in keeping their son alive and convincing him to turn himself in to the authorities and not take his own life. Upon seeing the photos released by the FBI, Robinson’s Mother suspected it was her son and sent him text messages asking where he had been. He responded, saying he had been sick for the past couple of days and was at home in his apartment in St. George, not far from his parents' home.

Robinson’s Father eventually got him talking on the phone and convinced him to meet at their house, where “Robinson implied that he was the shooter and stated that he couldn’t go to jail and just wanted to end it.”

The Father, who worked as a law enforcement officer for 27 years, called Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby to come over to the house and speak with Tyler. What followed was an exchange and negotiation between Brooksby, the alleged assassin, and his parents.

Within an hour, Robinson decided to turn himself in, and noted he did not want to be shot by the police or have a SWAT team raid the house, according to charging documents. Officer Brooksby and his parents brought him into the local Sheriff's Department, where they waited for authorities to arrive and officially arrest and charge him.

What do we know about the shooter?
Tyler Robinson, 22, had a 4.0 GPA in high school and received a full-ride scholarship to Utah State. He spent only one semester at Utah State before dropping out and pursuing an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College.

The charging document explained had become more left-wing in recent years. “Over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political and had started to lean more to the left – becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented. She stated that Robinson began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders.”

His roommate and boyfriend, Lance Twiggs, is a biological male “transitioning” to female, according to authorities. Twiggs was kicked out of his parents’ house at the age of 18 due to “substance abuse, gender identity, and a persistent video game addiction,” a relative told Fox News. He then lived with his grandparents for a stint before moving into the current townhome that Robinson began living in as well.

The two had a romantic relationship. It is unclear how much Twiggs knew about the assassination attempt, if anything at all. He has not been charged with any crimes to this point.

A text exchange between the two in the immediate aftermath of the shooting was released by authorities. Here’s how some of it reads:

Robinson: drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.
[When the roommate looked under the keyboard, there was a note that allegedly read: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it."]
Roommate: "What?????????????? You're joking, right????
Robinson: I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn't be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.
Roommate: you weren't the one who did it right????
Robinson: I am, I'm sorry
Roommate: I thought they caught the person?
Robinson: no, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.
Roommate: Why?
Robinson: Why did I do it?
Roommate: Yeah
Robinson: I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out.

You can find the full text exchange here.

Myriad of responses cause firings, debates about free speech
Numerous people have been fired from their employers in the last week due to their comments about Charlie Kirk’s death, most notably ABC’s late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, whose show was cancelled “indefinitely.” During his nightly monologue, Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and score “political points.”

Kimmel also made jokes during his monologue about Trump’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death, where he immediately began to speak about the White House ballroom renovation project.

Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way…these companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Hours later, Nexstar Media, a large owner of TV stations, said it would not air the show for the “foreseeable future.” Then ABC decided to cancel the show. President Trump said the cancellation was “great news” for America, while others on the right are wary about censoring speech or participating in the cancellation of shows.

Some of the chaos erupted after Trump’s Attorney General said, “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” in response to Charlie Kirk’s death and the numerous vulgar responses to it. Charlie Kirk was a proponent of free speech and did not support limiting even “hate speech.” Bondi later clarified her comments, saying, "My intention was to speak about threats of violence that individuals incite against others."

• Insight: watch this video of Bondi’s comments on hate speech vs. what Charlie Kirk said about hate speech in the past.

Some other notable responses from public figures

• Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett: "I really hope that the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a turning point for us as a society where we look and see where things have come, the point at which we've come to in the United States." (article)
  

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place…” (post)

• Actor Chris Pratt led a prayer in a video posted on X, reciting Psalms and asking his audience to join in. Following the prayer, he said, “Now, you can continue scrolling, or you can turn your phone off and go outside. Might suggest the latter. Go get some sunshine, go look at a tree, touch some grass.”

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Newsbites

Breaking: FBI and Utah officials give an update on manhunt of Charlie Kirk assassin. (watch live)

Chart of the week: Pokémon trading cards have become a hot investment, outperforming top stocks and the SP500 by leaps and bounds.

Israel launched attacks in Qatar this week targeting Hamas officials. The son of Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’s top negotiator, was killed, as well as five other people. President Trump rebuked the attack, saying, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” France, Saudi Arabia, the U.K., Turkey, and Egypt also condemned the Israeli action.

23-year-old woman stabbed on train: Yryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee from Ukraine, was stabbed to death while sitting on a train returning from her work at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina. The attack came with no provocation or notice. She curled her knees and looked up in shock before falling to the ground 15 seconds later, dead. Zarutska emigrated to the U.S. in 2022 with her mother, brother, and sister amid the war in Ukraine. In the obituary published online, her Mother said she “quickly embraced her new life in the United States.” Her dream was to become a veterinary assistant.

More: The suspect, Decarlos Brown, had a lengthy history of criminal activity, including robbery, felony larceny, and breaking and entering. He was released from prison in 2020 after serving a 5-year term.

The suspected shooter of Charlie Kirk had ammunition engraved with “expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology.” The bullets were found inside a rifle believed to be used in the assassination of the influential conservative activist at Utah Valley University. Kirk was shot while in the middle of a debate with a student about mass shootings involving transgender individuals. (more in main story below)

A 16-year-old boy opened fire at Evergreen High School in Colorado, severely injuring two students. The shooter, Desmond Holly, died later that night in the hospital from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Authorities say he was “radicalized” by extreme views due to early access to his phone. It is unknown how he received a firearm.

The Prime Minister of Nepal resigned after massive Gen Z protests demanding that the government not restrict access to social media platforms. More than 50 people have died amid the protests amid clashes with government police. The government lifted the social media ban amid the pressure, and the youth are demanding a new interim government.

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Influential Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Shot and Killed at University Speech

What happened?
31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University on Wednesday while speaking to college students. Kirk, one of the most influential voices on the right and a close confidant to President Trump and Vice President Vance, was shot in the neck and killed in the middle of a debate with a student.

While he had a pulse for several minutes, he died shortly after in the car on the way to the hospital.

Sara Tewell, a senior at Utah Valley University, stopped by the event in between her classes to watch Kirk and stood four rows from the stage. “It’s really traumatizing,” she told The Wall Street Journal. “I feel like I literally watched his soul leave his body.”

The alleged shooter was stationed on a rooftop of the University’s Losee Center, around 130 metres away, and a direct view of Kirk and a route to eventually escape. After the gunshot, thousands of students scattered around the campus, screaming and confused.

• Listen to the dispatch call: "UVU reporting one individual that was shot, unknown where the shooter went."

• Here is a full video (not showing the graphic shooting itself) from a livestream on YouTube.

President Trump, who ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-mast until Sunday evening, responded to the news saying, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump also released an official Oval Office address to the nation, calling it a “dark moment for America.”

What do we know about the shooter?
As of this Friday morning, President Trump said, "I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody." He said the shooter's Father helped turn him in. Trump also said that he hopes the shooter will get the death penalty.

On Thursday, the FBI asked for help identifying the individual with a reward of $100,000. Ammo found on the roof where the assassin took his shot was engraved with “expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology,” according to investigators. The rifle believed to be used in the shooting was a Mauser bolt action .30-06 caliber rifle.

Kirk’s body was transferred back to Arizona via Air Force Two
President JD Vance, a close friend of Kirk, helped carry his casket aboard Air Force Two to bring him back to his home state of Arizona. Vance, who decided to skip the 9/11 memorial service to attend to Kirk’s family, will be present at the funeral. President Trump also plans to attend the funeral. (video)

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Who Was Charlie Kirk and Why Was He so Influential?

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Getsmart Preview: The largest tomato fight in the world has become so popular the town had to limit attendance to 20,000 people.

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Chart of the week: Catholicism has seen a large spike in recent years

African country Burkina Faso (pop. 23M) has banned same-sex relationships with a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and fines if caught. The measure was unanimously voted upon on Monday and will go into effect one year after the country's military leader, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, asked for it. The socially conservative country is 64% Muslim and 20% Christian. Burkina Faso joins the list of 54 African countries that criminalize same-sex relationships. The laws, which have been heavily criticized outside Africa, are quite popular within the country, which tout the measure as a part of “marriage and family values.”

Vice President JD Vance and his wife visited Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis following the deadly shooting last week. While the Vances met with the pastor, principal, and families of the victims, a small group of protestors gathered around the Church demanding gun control. Following the visit, Vance said, "We should talk more about these kids. We should talk less about this shooter. We should talk less about the crazy person who took these children from us. We should talk about these kids, their hopes and their dreams, and the fact that they had a full life ahead of them that was cut short." (video)

More: Sophia Forchas, 12, remains in critical condition after doctors had "one side of her skull removed” in an effort to reduce swelling. The family continues to ask for prayers.

Robert F Kennedy Jr was grilled by lawmakers, including some Republicans, over his leadership at Health and Human Services. Kennedy Jr recently fired the CDC director, Susan Monarez, halted $500M in mRNA vaccine research, and has questioned the science behind the childhood vaccine schedule. The hours-long hearing got heated. (video of highlights)

Trump to deploy National Guard in Chicago: On Tuesday, President Trump said he will be sending the National Guard into the city of Chicago to help reduce crime and enforce law and order. "We're going in. I didn't say when, but we're going in," Trump said. Leaders from the Democrat run city have vowed to take legal action. "He just wants his own secret police force that will do publicity stunts whenever his poll numbers are sinking,” the Mayor of Chicago said in response. Trump is reportedly also looking to send in the National Guard to Baltimore and other major cities. It’s unclear whether the move would be considered unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Sudan Landslide: Hundreds of people in an isolated part of Sudan called Tarisan Village died from a sudden landslide. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, a rebel group that is currently in charge of the country, said the entire village was destroyed, only one person survived, and called for international aid. Meanwhile, other locals have given different information. “We recovered 370 bodies and buried them. Others are still trapped under the rocks, and some were carried away by floodwaters," said one of the leaders in the local region. One aid worker from the organization Save the Children said a team of 11 people rode donkeys out to the village to help. “It took our team more than a full day on a rocky, muddy, and hilly route to reach this devastated community."

More: Sudan has been in a bloody civil war for the past two years, making tragedies like this even more difficult to recover from.

A rise in Catholicism? At the University of Notre Dame, 52 students were baptized or completed their full initiation into the Catholic Church in April. It was the largest class of converts in 25 years since the school began keeping track. But it’s not just in South Bend, Indiana. Numerous Catholic Dioceses across the country have reported surprising numbers. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles reported a 45% increase in the number of converts, which totalled 5,500 - the most in 10 years. The Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, saw a surge in conversions, rising from 896 in 2023 to 1,544 in 2024, marking a 72% increase and one of the largest year-over-year gains nationwide.

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Putin, XI, and Kim Jong Un Meet in China for Military Parade

“Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.” - President Donald J Trump

What’s going on?
On Wednesday, the leaders of Russia, North Korea, and China publicly met in Beijing in a public display of unity.

The parade not only served as a way for Xi to project China’s military power, but also sent a message to the U.S. and other Western powers that a new alliance between some of the world's most sanctioned countries might be forming.

The parade featured nuclear missiles, laser weapons, underwater nuclear drones, robotic “wolves”, as well as thousands of troops. Among the 50,000 spectators in attendance, who the Chinese communist party vetted, 25 leaders from around the globe were also present, including from Serbia and Iran. (video highlights)

Why does this matter
The public display of unity could be a sign of an actual alliance forming. Currently, Russia is facing severe economic sanctions from much of the West during its war with Ukraine. North Korea has sent more than 15,000 soldiers and military equipment to Russia in exchange for money, food, and technical help.

North Korea, which is extremely reliant on China with 90% of its food imports, could be viewed as another military arm of the Chinese communist regime with nuclear capabilities. To Xi, a partnership between North Korea and Russia could prove to be a legitimate counter to a U.S.-led globe.

President Trump responds
During the military events, President Trump posted on Truth Social, saying the following:

“The big question to be answered is whether or not President Xi of China will mention the massive amount of support and “blood” that The United States of America gave to China in order to help it to secure its FREEDOM from a very unfriendly foreign invader. Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory. I hope that they are rightfully Honored and Remembered for their Bravery and Sacrifice! May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”

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Newsbites

Chart of the week: China, Russia, and Australia vastly outperform the U.S. in mined gold production.

Christians to stay put during Gaza City offensive: Israel is moving forward with its plan to launch an offensive in Gaza City and has issued some evacuation orders to residents and refugees in areas of the city. Amid the pending offensive, the two most prominent religious leaders in the city - Cardinal Pizzaballa and Patriarch Theophilos III - released a joint statement saying the nuns and clergy living in the respective Catholic and Greek Orthodox communities will remain in Gaza City and care for those that are unable to evacuate. They wrote, “many are weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months. Leaving Gaza City and trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence.”

AI-first school: A new AI-focused school, called Alpha School, has been growing fast and is set to open new locations in New York and other states this year. The school’s model consists of just 2 hours of AI-led “classroom” instruction in the morning, followed by “life skills” workshops in the afternoon. For the classroom portion, students learn 1:1 with AI programs that lead them through lessons, quizzes, and more. There are no formal teachers, only “guides” that monitor and assist the students as needed. The life skills workshops consist of things like financial literacy, outdoor activities, practical skills, and entrepreneurship exercises. For example, students may learn how to assemble furniture from IKEA, solve a Rubik’s cube, or manage a mock Airbnb rental.

More: The company currently operates as a private school (tuition is $40,000 plus per year), although charter schools are expected to open in the future.

Nazi-era stolen painting: Authorities are searching for “Portrait of a Lady,” a painting by Italian artist Giuseppe Ghislandi, which was stolen by Nazi officials during World War II but has recently resurfaced in Argentina. A team of investigative journalists at the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad have been working on the case for nearly a decade. The team had a major breakthrough this week after they sent one of the journalists to Argentina in a last ditch effort to find clues. The reporters were checking the house of descendants of the Nazi official, Friedrich Kadgien. The house was listed for sale and one of the journalists spotted the painting in a photo of the living room included in the real estate listing. The next day when officials searched the house, the painting was gone and was replaced with a tapestry on the wall.

Israel strikes hospital: Targeted Israeli double strikes on the Nassar Hospital in Gaza killed 20 people, including 5 international journalists from the AP, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Middle East Eye. The double strike consisted of one targeted attack, followed by another strike after journalists and citizens had entered the hospital to assess the damage and help save lives. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 200 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war in October 2023, which makes it the deadliest journalist casualty count of any event documented in modern history. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mishap” and said there would be a "thorough investigation.”

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Catholic School Shooting in Minneapolis Leaves 2 Children Dead and 18 Injured

What happened?
On Wednesday morning at 8:27 AM, more than a hundred rounds of gunfire blazed through the stained glass windows of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, which was packed with children, teachers, and staff attending Mass for the K-8 school. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed. 15 other children and three parishioners in their 80s were injured. The alleged 23-year-old shooter, Robin Westman, died from suicide behind the Church shortly afterwards. The FBI says the attack is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics.

Children hid under pews and began running to different areas of the Church while staff and older students helped to cover the youngest children.

One 10-year-old student described the scene to the media afterwards, saying, "I just ran under the pew and then I covered my head. My friend Victor saved me though, because he laid on top of me. But he got hit... He's really brave, and I hope he's good in the hospital." (video)

By 8:31 AM, first responders arrived at the scene. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said one officer immediately ran into the Church with no helmet or protective gear and a parishioner told him later that it was “the first time that he, the children and others there had any sense that they might be safe and survive."

The Church doors were locked after Mass had started, per school protocol, barring the shooter from getting inside the building itself. O’Hara said it likely saved countless lives.

Today, injured victims are still being treated at local hospitals in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. At this point, all are expected to survive.

Fletcher Merkel, 8, was one of the children killed in the shooting. His father, who spoke to the media on Thursday, said his son Fletcher “loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play.” Fletcher's dad called the shooter a “coward” and is urging people to "please remember Fletcher for the person he was, not the act that ended his life." (video)

Harper Moyski, 10, was also killed in the attack. Her parents released a statement, saying, "We are devastated to share our beloved daughter, Harper Moyski, was tragically killed in the recent school shooting…Harper was a bright, joyful and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness and spirit touched everyone who knew her."

What we know about the shooter
The 23-year-old shooter, Robin Westman, was a graduate of the same Annunciation Catholic School in 2017. Westman then bounced between three different high schools before graduating in 2021.

Westman was a transgender individual who identified as a woman. Court documents show a name change from Robert Westman to Robin Westman in 2020. The documents, signed by his mother, say the individual “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.” Westman’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, worked at Annunciation Catholic School as a secretary before retiring in 2021.

In a video posted on YouTube hours before the shooting took place, Westman shows the guns and ammo he would use in the attack, with messages written such as, “Where is your God?” along with a variety of slurs. He also spoke glowingly about previous school shooters and said, “I am not well. I am not right. I am a sad person, haunted by these thoughts that do not go away.”

According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, the shooter had recently legally purchased the three firearms used in the attack: a shotgun, rifle and a pistol. The shooter had no known criminal background but "had a deranged obsession with previous mass shooters," and was seeking notoriety. He also said the shooter "harbored a whole lot of hate towards a wide variety of people and groups of people.”

• Chief O’Hara delivered a press conference on Thursday providing more details about the shooter and what authorities know at this time (video).

Westman’s mother, who currently lives in Florida, has not cooperated with the police up until this point and has hired a criminal defense attorney, Ryan Garry, who has previously represented NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and rapper Desiigner. His father, James Westman, lives in Minneapolis but it remains unclear if authorities have been in contact with him. The couple divorced in 2013 when Westman was 11-years-old.

Prayer vigil held at Holy Angels
In the evening of the day of the shooting, hundreds of people packed the gymnasium at the Academy of Holy Angels for a prayer vigil to remember the victims. The gym was overflowing with many people standing outside the doors. The service was led by Catholic Archbishop Bernard Hebda (video).

Minnesota officials respond
Minnesota officials, including Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Governor Tim Walz, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the press in the wake of the shooting (video). Although all spoke and shared of the horror and sadness of the events, each person highlighted unique themes that are also being discussed around the country, such as prayer, transgenderism, and gun control.

• Archbishop Hebda: “While we need to commit to working to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, we also need to remind ourselves that we have a God of peace and of love, and that it is his love that we will need most as we strive to embrace those who are hurting so deeply.”

• Minneapolis Mayor Frey: "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying!" He added, "Anybody that is gonna use this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any community has lost touch with a common humanity…we need to be standing up for every community out there. A Catholic community, too, by the way."

• Vice-President JD Vance: "If you're a politician or a media commentator and 2 beautiful babies just got murdered while praying, and your politics force you to condemn prayer in response to it, you ought to get new politics because something very wrong has gone on inside your soul."

• RFK JR: “People have had guns in this country forever… it’s happening in our country, and not around the world… something changed, and it dramatically changed human behavior. We are the most overmedicated nation in the history of the world. And a lot of those are “black box” drugs that have a warning about suicidal and homicidal ideations.”

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Chart of the week: The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has dropped significantly since President Trump took office this year.

President Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin today (Friday) in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the war in Ukraine. Trump reportedly spent half of Thursday meeting with his security team to prepare. While Putin will likely try to keep Trump in good graces while he continues his military advances, Trump could draw a line in the sand and back out of negotiations altogether. He might also threaten more severe economic sanctions on buyers of Russian oil. Trump told reporters this week, “We’re going to be calling President Zelensky, if it is a good meeting…If it is a bad meeting, I’m not calling anybody. I’m going home.”

More than 120 car windows were smashed in Minneapolis on Monday night. A woman who caught the group of dozens of young people on video yelled out of her apartment, “I got you on video,” as the group dashed back to their car and drove away (video). No arrests have been made. One of the victims told a local news station, “it makes me scared to even come out here at night.” There have been hundreds of car window smashings and break-ins in recent months. Minneapolis Police say they are increasing patrols in those areas and encourage people to send video when they have them.

More deaths in Gaza: Israel has launched a multiple day bombing of Gaza City, killing more than 130 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The operations are likely the first of many as Israel says it intends to take over all of Gaza and is telling Palestinians to leave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "They’re not being pushed out, they’ll be allowed to exit," adding that anyone who wants to help the Palestinians should “open their gates.” According to the Gaza Health Ministry, between August 13th and 14th, eight more people in Gaza, including three children, died of starvation, bringing the number to 235 since the war began two years ago.

Alcohol consumption in decline: According to a new Gallup poll, a record low percentage of Americans are drinking alcohol. 54% of respondents said they consume alcohol, the lowest percentage since Gallup began the survey in 1939 and down from 65% in 2019. The decline is consistent with the subsequent rise in NA beer and seltzers, along with changing health perceptions. In the same Gallup survey, 53% of respondents said moderate alcohol consumption is bad for one’s health, a sharp increase from 28% of respondents in 2015.

Humanoid robot games: China is hosting the first ever international event where robots compete in a variety of sports such as soccer, track and field, wrestling, and boxing (video). 16 countries are participating in the weekend event, including teams from Germany, Japan, and the U.S.

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Trends: Canada Embraces Euthanasia

Less than 10 years after becoming legal, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), otherwise known as assisted suicide or euthanasia, has become a top 5 cause of death in Canada.

In 2023, that meant over 15,000 people chose to end their lives via euthanasia, accounting for 5% of all deaths in the country. In the province of Quebec, the percentage is even higher, at 7%.

The rise has been swift.

Shortly after parliament passed the initial euthanasia legislation in 2016, officials predicted it would eventually account for 2% of total deaths and remain steady. After the country quickly surpassed that level, in 2022 they predicted euthanasia would reach a steady state of 4% of deaths by 2033. After surpassing that mark more than ten years ahead of schedule, officials stopped releasing projections.

Assisted suicides are carried out by doctors and nurse practitioners and can take place in a hospital or simply in a person’s home. It typically involves sedating the person, injecting a drug that induces a coma, and then a paralytic agent that shuts down the heart.

The practice is referred to as a “provision” by many clinicians. Some physicians have carried out hundreds of assisted suicides.

Requirements easing, access expanding
At the beginning, eligibility for euthanasia was limited to individuals that were terminally ill and approaching a “reasonably foreseeable natural death.” In other words, people that had terminal cancer or other diseases and for which death was deemed inevitable. These cases are known as “Track 1.”

Two separate clinicians (nurse practitioners or doctors) must confirm the person meets the eligibility requirements. Initially, a 10-day reflection period was required before the person was killed, but this requirement was removed in 2021.

In 2021, lawmakers passed legislation broadening eligibility to also include people with chronic illnesses but who are not terminally ill - referred to as “Track 2” cases. In other words, this includes people for whom natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, but their condition is such that it causes “intolerable suffering.” This could include chronic pain syndromes or neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy.

In 2027, legislation is set to go into effect that will broaden euthanasia eligibility to also include people with “mental illness” as the sole condition. Before this legislation goes into effect, officials are tasked with determining guidelines for how assisted suicide should actually be applied in these cases.

Authorities are also exploring expanding euthanasia to include “mature minors.”

Clinicians decide
Physicians and nurse practitioners assess whether someone meets the eligibility requirements for assisted suicide. Given the language of the legislation is inherently ambiguous, ultimately it is often up to the individual physician to decide whether the eligibility requirements are met.

For example, there is no defined timeline for what constitutes “reasonably foreseeable natural death” in Track 1 cases - it could be two months or two years. Nor is there a definition for what constitutes “intolerable suffering” for Track 2 cases. While there have been some criminal investigations for possible abuse, typically the physician has been acquitted given the ambiguous language of the law.

President Trump Deploys 800 National Guard Troops in Washington D.C.

What’s going on?
President Trump deployed 800 National Guard troops on Monday across Washington D.C. in an effort to “take our capital back,” citing crime and lawlessness. Trump also assigned more than 100 federal agents from the FBI across the district and said he is willing to deploy active military personnel if needed.

The plan is a part of the White House’s Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which aims to beautify and restore law and order in the nation's capital city.

Under the Home Rule Act, which is specific to the nation's capital, Trump invoked section 740, which allows the President to federalize the D.C. police when “special conditions of an emergency nature exist.”

Here are some of the things that have happened this week in D.C.:

• Clearing of homeless encampments: People began packing their belongings and moving out of the encampments before officials began bulldozing the previously occupied regions. There were dozens of such camps around D.C. It’s unclear where the homeless will be sent, although President Trump said they will be transferred somewhere far away from the capitol.

• End of sanctuary city rules: The Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C. granted its officers authority to share information regarding immigration status in instances where someone has broken the law such as a traffic stop or any criminal act. D.C. was previously considered a “sanctuary city” where illegal immigrants are protected from being deported.

While crime in D.C. spiked drastically during the covid years, it has dropped significantly in the past year, falling to pre-covid levels in some cases. But a recent Washington Post survey found that 50% of residents (mostly Democrats) said the level of crime is an “extremely serious” or “very serious” problem. The Metropolitan Police Department also has the lowest number of officers in over 50 years.

During Trump’s press conference, he told a story about his father, Fred Trump, who once said, “when you walk into a restaurant and you see a dirty front door, don't go in. Because if the front door is dirty, the kitchen's dirty also.’ Same thing with the capital. If our capital's dirty, our whole country is dirty, and they don't respect it.”

President Trump has also frequently brought up the case of Edward Coristine (AKA “Big Balls”), a government worker for the Department of Government Efficiency, who was recently bloodied and beaten after surviving a car-jacking in D.C. (photo)

How is Washington D.C. different from other American cities?
Washington D.C. is a special area called a federal district, created to be the capital of the United States. People who live there elect a mayor and city council, just like in other cities, and they make local laws and run city services. But unlike states, Congress still has the final say. That means Congress can change D.C.’s laws or budget anytime it wants. The president also has direct control over the D.C. National Guard, which is different from states in which governors are in charge of their Guard units.

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Chart of the week: The estimated percentage of 30-year-olds that are both married and homeowners has declined from over 50% in 1950-60s to under 15% today.

Over 1 million young people from more than 150 countries gathered last week for the Youths Jubilee in Rome. The week consisted of various events, including witnesses from young people, music performances, a time to ask questions to the pope, and prayer. During the last night, participants camped outside in Tor Vergata field in anticipation for the final Mass on Sunday morning, celebrated by Pope Leo (video). The pope addressed the crowd with these words, “My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible. A world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons, but with dialogue."

More: The event is the largest gathering of young adults in the world this year.

Epstein: The House Oversight Committee issued multiple subpoenas this week in connection with the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein saga. The first subpoena was sent to the Justice Department to produce all documents and communications related to the investigation, trial, and death of Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. In addition, eight individuals were subpoenaed to appear before the House Committee for depositions including Bill and Hillary Clinton, James Comey and Robert Mueller (former FBI directors), and a number of former Attorneys General, including former Attorney Generals William Barr, Eric Holder, and Merrick Garland. The depositions, which involve participants answering questions under sworn testimony, will begin with William Barr on August 18 and conclude with Bill Clinton on October 14.

Ultra-processed food: The latest report from the CDC found that on average, 55% of total calories consumed by Americans come from ultra-processed foods. The percentage is even higher for youth ages 1-18 (62%) compared to adults age 19 and up (53%). The figures were derived from surveys conducted between Aug 2021 - Aug 2023. The top categories of ultra-processed foods were burgers/sandwiches, sweet bakery products, savory snacks, pizza, and sugary beverages.

More: While the percentage of caloric intake from ultra-processed foods remains high, the figures did decline a few percent compared to the 2017-2018 survey period.

President Trump fired the head statistician at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, after the July monthly jobs report showed the U.S. economy added fewer jobs than expected (73,000 versus 118,000 expected). In addition, the report revised down the number of new jobs added in the months of May and June by about 90%. After its release, Trump claimed on his Truth Social that the jobs numbers were faked to make them look worse.

More: BLS produces the job estimates based on survey samples, so revisions occur each month as new data is collected. However, the revisions in May and June were particularly large and raised concerns of an economic recession.

Japan population bust: In 2024, there were 900,000 more deaths than births in Japan marking a crisis of population decline. It’s the steepest population drop since 1968 when surveys started from the government and the 16th consecutive year of population decline. The Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba described it as a “quiet emergency” and promised more family friendly policies such as free childcare and more flexible work environments.

mRNA vaccine wind down: The Department of Health and Human Services announced a “coordinated wind-down” of the controversial mRNA vaccine development. RFK Jr. announced the closure of 22 mRNA projects and $500M of funding will be pulled. He cited data that the vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.” He added that funding will shift to “safer, broader vaccine platforms.” Kennedy Jr. posted a video on X announcing the decision.

More: The two most popular mRNA vaccines for covid-19 were the Pfizer and Moderna shots.

A possible meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky is a “very good prospect,” President Trump said after the U.S. special envoy to Russia met with Putin on Wednesday. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Kremlin said Putin and Trump had agreed to a meeting “in the coming days,” although the inclusion of Zelensky and Ukraine for a three-way negotiation remains more uncertain. President Trump’s “deadline” to reach a ceasefire before the U.S. imposes aggressive sanctions on Russia is today (August 8).

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Israel Says They Intend to Take Over Entire Gaza Strip Despite Pushback

Some context
Israel now controls and operates 75% of the Gaza strip. About 25% of the 26 mile strip remains under the control of Hamas, including the coastal region, central areas, and Gaza City.

As of Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “intends” to begin a new campaign offensive to take over the entire Gaza Strip.

The operation would likely take many months and the potential relocation of about 1 million Palestinians. President Trump declined to say whether he would support a full Israeli takeover saying, "I really can't say. It is going to be pretty much up to Israel."

The new campaign could push Israel’s defense forces into areas where Israeli hostages are being held by Hamas. This has elicited criticism from the families of hostages who say it will increase the risk of them being killed.

• New aerial footage: Due to blocked access to journalists on the ground, media outlets have released new aerial footage showing apocalyptic scenes of the destruction of Gaza 22 months into the war (video).

• An estimated 70% of all buildings and structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the war.

Just before his meeting with the Israel cabinet on Thursday with the goal to convince weary government officials to agree with the plan, Netanyahu sat down with Fox News and said the following:

"We intend to [take over Gaza], in order to ensure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza and to pass it to civilian governance,” he continued.

"We want to have a security perimeter. We don't want to govern it. We don't want to be there as a governing body, we want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life” (video).

Divide in Israel
As Netanyahu faces a divide inside the government about taking over the strip, the majority of Israeli citizens would favor making a deal with Hamas instead. According to a survey conducted on Wednesday by the Times of Israel, 53% of Israelis do not support a full take-over.

Hamas continues to hold hostages
Meanwhile, Hamas continues to hold 50 Israeli hostages, 27 of whom Israel says they believe are already dead. Recently, Hamas released a video of an Israeli hostage who looks starved, digging his own grave (video). Israel continues to demand the release of all hostages and aims for a complete eradication of Hamas.

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