Support our truly independent journalism.   Watch now   NEW! Pentagon Ordered Evidence Destroyed in Second Possible War Crimes Incident Melissa Corrigan breaks: Video of detainees deleted by admiral-level order in October strike — while Hegseth defends September double-tap Zev Shalev, Nick Paro, Melissa Corrigan, she/her, and Dean Blundell Dec 9 Dean was out today, so I brought in the experts who’ve been breaking this story wide open. Nick Paro and Melissa Corrigan joined me for what turned into one of the most significant FiveStack episodes we’ve done. Melissa broke news that changes everything about the Hegseth scandal, and what we learned suggests systematic criminality at the highest levels of the Pentagon. That wasn’t the only breaking news. BREAKING NEWS: RUSSIA’S INFORMATION WARFARE Russian state television released footage from last week’s Putin meeting with Trump’s negotiators—Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They waited five days to drop this, and what you see is pure stagecraft. The Americans walk in looking unsophisticated, wandering around admiring Kremlin interiors. “Visibly amazed by the grandeur,” according to Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin. But here’s the key frame: Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov walks in with the American delegation, embedded in their group. This isn’t accidental. The message to Russian audiences is clear—we own these negotiations. While Russian state media celebrates American deference, 5️⃣ HEGSETH’S SECOND COVERUP Melissa Corrigan broke this story this weekend on Blue Amp Media, and legacy press is ignoring it. In mid-October—about 47 days ago, a month after the September double-tap strike—there was another incident. Two survivors of a strike were brought onto the USS Iwo Jima. They were photographed per standard shipboard procedure. Then the order came down: delete that video. They deleted it. Two detainees were in US custody for over 24 hours with virtually no evidence of what happened. One was returned to Colombia on a ventilator, unconscious. The other went back to Ecuador. Both countries released them—no evidence of wrongdoing. Blue Amp Media EXCLUSIVE: US Navy Deleted Video of October Boat Attack Survivors On a crystal blue sea, multiple explosive assaults from the sky have blown small boats to pieces, almost always ending the lives of those on board… Read more 2 days ago · 587 likes · 72 comments · Melissa Corrigan, she/her and David Shuster According to Corrigan, when Marines brought these detainees onboard, there was conflict between Marines and sailors about whether to take photos. Marines said the Commodore ordered no video. Melissa’s sources say the deletion order came from the admiral level, which means it likely came from Hegseth himself. This isn’t just one war crime—it’s a pattern with active coverup. As Nick Paro pointed out, you document everything in military detention precisely to protect service members legally and prevent diplomatic crises. Deleting evidence means Hegseth could lie to Congress and blame enlisted personnel with no footage to contradict him. 4️⃣ EUROPE BREAKS WITH TRUMP While Kushner was in Moscow, Macron, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Zelensky in London. Macron’s message was direct: Europe and Ukraine have “a lot of cards in our hands”—a shot at Trump’s claim that Zelensky “doesn’t have the cards.” The transatlantic alliance is fracturing in real time. Nick noted that moving the entire Ford Strike Group out of the Mediterranean for the first time in 80 years to chase drug boats in the Caribbean is exactly what Putin wants—NATO presence withdrawn, allies isolated, American credibility shattered. 3️⃣ MTG GIVES PERMISSION TO LEAVE MAGA Marjorie Taylor Greene told 60 Minutes that Republican colleagues are “terrified to step out of line and get a nasty Truth Social post.” When Leslie Stahl asked if they talk differently behind closed doors, MTG confirmed it. But here’s what matters: she kept saying “I’m America First” not MAGA. That’s not an accident. She’s positioning for what comes next—either a presidential run or leadership of a rebranded party. Melissa nailed it: “She’s giving permission for your average MAGA woman to step away from the MAGA movement.” And there are women looking for exactly that permission. Trump attacked 60 Minutes and Paramount on Truth Social minutes after the interview aired. 2️⃣ JARED KUSHNER AND JEFF ZUCKER ATTEMPT CNN TAKEOVER WITH SAUDI AND UAE MONEY David Ellison launched a $108.4 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery—$18 billion more cash than the Netflix deal. Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners backs this with Saudi, Qatari, and UAE sovereign wealth funds. The same Kushner who just spent five hours with Putin. And Jeff Zucker—remember him from CNN?—his UAE-funded venture firm is the other party in this deal. They’re coming for CNN, for Warner Bros, for everything. Paramount claims no national security review is needed because foreign investors “forgo governance rights,” but we’re talking about the same foreign money that gave Kushner $2 billion as a bribe at the end of the last administration. As Nick said: “He’s positioned himself with zero accountability because he’s not a diplomat. He’s just a random dude running around doing unregistered agent work for foreign nations. We call those spies.” 1️⃣ SCOTUS POISED TO ELIMINATE INDEPENDENT AGENCIES The Supreme Court heard Trump v. Slaughter today—can the president fire Federal Trade Commission commissioners at will? If he wins, every independent agency becomes an extension of presidential power. The Federal Reserve, FCC, SEC, FTC, NLRB—institutions designed to operate beyond direct political control. Trump has already fired Democrats from all of them, daring the Court to stop him. Last September’s 6-3 ruling allowing presidential removal of an NLRB general counsel showed where this is headed. The Roberts Court has denied only one of Trump’s 32 emergency petitions. This is Project 2025 made real. As Nick pointed out, we can impeach Supreme Court justices—impeachment can’t be pardoned. We need overwhelming victories in 2026 to take back the House and Senate. Melissa used a Navy analogy: when the hull is breached on one side, you flood spaces on the alternate side to keep the ship righted. “If we don’t flood this election, the ship’s going down.” BONUS: ALEX KARP’S MELTDOWN We ended with footage of Palantir CEO Alex Karp at the New York Times Deal Book summit, physically twitching and defensively listing everything he thinks Palantir has given the West. He enunciated one word carefully: “American superiority.” The man who controls the military’s data infrastructure has a God complex and the masks are off. The same summit platformed Ehud Barak—Jeffrey Epstein’s handler and Virginia Giuffre’s abuser. We’re all taking notes on who the New York Times chooses to elevate. This isn’t one story. It’s systematic institutional capture happening in real time—from coverups at the Pentagon to foreign wealth funds buying media to courts eliminating agency independence. Melissa and Nick both noted they could be recalled to active duty and court-martialed for their reporting. That’s where we are. Support their work: Melissa Corrigan, she/her and Blue Amp. Nick Paro at Sick of this Shit Publications and Banner & Backbone Media. They’re doing the reporting legacy media won’t touch. The FiveStack is available as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Advertising inquiries email next@narativ.org. The FiveStack is a co-production of deanblundell.substack.com and narativ.org. Thank you Centered America, Lawrence Winnerman, Cat, Kathy Utley, Beth Cruz, and many others for tuning into my live video with Melissa Corrigan, she/her and Nick Paro! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get more from Zev Shalev in the Substack app Available for iOS and Android A guest post by Melissa Corrigan, she/her US Navy veteran, freelance writer & investigative columnist, philosopher & community builder. Ally. Advocate. Armed with truth and a keyboard. A guest post by Dean Blundell Media guy, content provider, dog whisperer, Canadian raconteur, muckraker.