Friday, October 16, 2026

FRIDAY BREAKING: She Just GOT FIRED...

                                                                                                                      

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Major breaking news just in: new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is OUT as press secretary just 5 days into the role.

Her tenure in the White House depicted by this GIF below:

Awkward The Simpsons GIF

And there’s a whole lot of other news to get you up-to-date on. So let’s get into today’s headlines.

  • Katie Zacharia has been fired, or as a White House official told Peter Doocy, she is “transitioning out” of the role

  • Reuters confirms the order to slow Ukraine’s Starshield came from inside the White House as Trump denies it

  • Zelenskyy ends the refinery strike pause

  • Ukraine is out of Patriot interceptors as Russia launches 850+ Shaheds

  • Iran fires missiles and drones at UAE port anchorages, and Brent hits $110

  • Noem demoted again, and Guilfoyle gets an unceremonious boot from Greece

  • Carney rallies Alberta and fires back at Ambassador Hoekstra

  • A judge tosses Trump’s lawsuit against NYC sanctuary policies

  • Trump publicly pushes Justice Alito toward retirement

  • And more…

A few important notes before we dive in:

  • We are now just 4 DAYS AWAY from the release of our book, WTF America: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy. If you’ve been considering pre-ordering, go ahead and order your copy now! Let’s shock the world and show them the power of independent media!

  • Consider becoming a paid subscriber to this Substack if you haven’t yet. Your paid subscriptions are what allow us to grow during this crucial time. Thank you for supporting independent media.


Not Even Half a ‘Mooch

Katie Zacharia is OUT. Her exit came shortly after Trump said he told her, “Honestly, if I were you, I would reconsider” the role. He said she might say in the administration “in some form but maybe a more pleasant form,” and blamed the “fake news” for “brutalizing” her.

The Party of Personal Responsibility™ always blaming others. It's pathetic.

And are we talking about “fake news” like Sean Hannity? Because last night, Zacharia went on his show and oooof….. It was brutal! Hannity grilled Zacharia about her background and her pretending to be a lawyer. Zacharia was clearly caught off guard by the tough questioning. It was clear the order was sent by the powers that be that Hannity had the go-ahead to take her down. And he did. Just 2 days earlier, he had attacked the “media mob” for asking her about not passing the bar exam. Then, he found himself asking the same questions, and was not a fan of her answers.

This morning on Fox & Friends didn’t go any better for her.

Here’s a helpful chart we put together:

Image

The White House Hobbled Ukraine’s

 Defenses


Two U.S. officials and a western official told Reuters that Pentagon leaders received a message from inside the White House saying Ukraine’s SpaceX Starshield service needed to be slowed. A senior official denied that Trump personally ordered it. This morning, when asked by the press, prolific liar Trump said the report was false. Their refusal to take the blame shows they know how politically toxic this decision was. Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that Elon Musk approached Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink.

Zelenskyy is not happy. He explained how Ukraine uses Starshield to intercept jet-powered Shaheds aimed at civilians, to strike Russian military in occupied territory, and to deliver food and water by drone to soldiers on the front. When speeds dropped, some Shaheds got through.

Zelenskyy held back his attacks on Russian refineries for days, but those days are now over. Trump has only grown more hostile toward Zelenskyy, while Putin has continued to attack Ukrainian energy sites. So, Zelenskyy declared: “The block on attacking refineries is out. We’re done.” He accused Trump of passing the throttling off as a “technical glitch” and of blaming missed missile warnings that killed multiple people on “bad weather.”

“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” he said.

Ukraine then set a Ryazan refinery ablaze. Zelenskyy told FT that Trump openly admires leaders who hold power for decades and said it’s a “pity” the U.S. has helped Putin.

Out of Patriots, and Trump Lies About

 Tomahawks

Ukraine has now run out of Patriot missiles. The Washington Post says Ukraine had just 10 left on October 7, with irregular deliveries since May. Russia launched more than 850 Shaheds in about a day. Zelenskyy said Moscow escalated after “receiving sanctions relief” from the U.S. The UK is sending more Storm Shadows, per Bloomberg.

On state regime media Newsmax, Trump blamed low U.S. munitions on Biden giving “massive amounts” of Tomahawks to “P.T. Barnum,” his name for Zelenskyy. Oh, the projection.

But here are the facts: the U.S. has NEVER sent Ukraine a single Tomahawk. Not one. The reason we are low on munitions is entirely due to Trump’s failed war in Iran.

Europe Is Pushing Back

  • Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission: Pressure “the aggressor to stop the war, not the victim to surrender.”

  • Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, on Starshield: “If they want to protect NATO, if they want to protect Europe, it has to stay open.”

  • German Chancellor Merz rejected a Witkoff and Kushner plan to move frozen Russian assets into a Washington-controlled fund. “This is our business, and we decide on it,” he said.

  • When Sky News asked Zelenskyy whether Trump is making him a scapegoat for low polls and high diesel prices, Zelenskyy smiled and said, “This is my answer.”

Ukraine also launched around 350 drones into Russia. Strikes hit Moscow-region warehouses and reportedly another Yandex data center. Ukraine’s Navy says Neptunes destroyed 6 Su-34s at Borisoglebsk. Russian drones hit ships off Romania and Bulgaria, with at least 2 dead and 19 missing.

Iran Escalates

Overnight, Iran fired anti-ship missiles and Shahed-136s toward port anchorages at Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Jebel Ali, leaving Emirates flights circling off Dubai. Iran’s forces are on their highest alert for 72 hours. The IRGC also struck a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. About 30 tankers have been hit since October 5.

After 5 days of missile tests, U.S. and Israeli reports suggest Iran’s launcher stockpile may now exceed prewar levels. Iran says it’s identified about $2 trillion in U.S.-linked regional assets and has threatened undersea Internet cables. Brent crude surged to $110, and jet fuel scarcity is coming next.

Per CNN, the Pentagon has now drafted options to drop a MOAB (Mother of All Bombs) on Iranian sites as a “fireworks show” before a possible withdrawal. Trump told Newsmax it’s “like a tiny nuclear bomb.”

By the way, back home, wholesale inflation is at 6.3%. Mortgages are near 7.5%. And U.S. import and export prices today have surged above expectations. Import prices are up 8.1% year over year. Export prices are up 11.6% year over year.

Palestinian Villagers and a Jewish

 American Journalist Attacked in the

 West Bank

Violent, masked Israeli occupiers attacked Palestinian villagers near Abu Falah in the West Bank earlier, setting olive groves on fire and hurling rocks. Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, a Jewish American, was brutally attacked by these so-called “settlers.”

“They just kept kicking me and kicking me, like probably 50 times,” she said.

She is now recovering in the hospital.

Levine was wearing visible markings identifying her as press. The Washington Post says they are outraged by the attack, which was caught on video. Levine was there to photograph was was supposed to be a peaceful olive harvest before it was stormed by the masked attackers.

Netanyahu’s response was horrifying. He called the facts “unclear” and described Levine as “allegedly assaulted,” despite the whole thing being caught on video. He recast the attack as a two-sided confrontation between some 200 “Arabs and far-left activists” and about 40 Israeli youths and warned against using “disputed incidents” to demonize “settlers.”

There is nothing to debate here. The footage is out there for all to see. And the Post has reported extensively on what happened.

Other Loyalists Sliding Out…

  • Kristi Noem’s envoy status for her fake Shield of the Americas position quietly expired last month. She’s now been shuffled to a new gig: senior adviser to Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau.

  • Kimberly Guilfoyle is not getting a pleasant exit from Greece. Greece’s president is refusing to hold the customary farewell they normally do when an ambassador exits.

Canada Isn’t Backing Down

Carney on U.S. Ambassador to Canada Hoekstra’s “election interference” claims: “He’s wrong.”

At an Alberta rally, the crowd erupted when he said the Pacific Link pipeline would reduce Canada’s dependence on the U.S.

Carney: "Careful. They might think that's election interference. They're a little touchy down there. We're not. We're getting on with it."

This cover of The Economist is sure to drive Trump nuts:

Mark Carney shows middle powers how to handle a dangerous world

A few more notes…

  • Kid Rock had an awful and bigoted appearance on Fox earlier

  • Sen. Dan Sullivan, getting pummeled in the Alaska U.S. Senate debate, accused Mary Peltola of getting the debate questions early. Her reply: “It’s called being prepared.”

  • Judge Reyes dismissed Trump’s suit against NYC’s sanctuary laws and found 2 federal immigration statutes unconstitutional

  • Trump called Alito a “great man” when sharing Politico’s retirement story and said he wants to confirm a new justice before Democrats can block one. If Democrats take control of the Senate, they should definitely refuse any nominees. Mitch McConnell set the precedent.

  • RFK Jr. said if Americans can’t afford ribeye anymore, they can skip it and try other, cheaper cuts, before saying ribeye was his personal favorite

  • The administration finalized a rule letting hunters bait bears with donuts and bacon grease in Alaska.

OK, that was a lot. I know. Thanks for reading, restacking, and liking. And thanks for all your nice comments. I really love reading them.

Again, WTF America?!, the book I wrote with my brothers Ben and Jordy, comes out Tuesday. That’s just 4 days away!!! Consider preordering now if you haven’t yet. It’s dedicated to YOU!

Have a great Friday and see you soon.

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Mike Minogue talks Medicaid cuts, primary care spending, and immigration impacts on the health care workforce

                                                                                                                     

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National Grid is strengthening its systems and preparing crews for winter weather to help deliver safe, reliable energy communities depend on.

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HIT THE GAS: Gov. Maura Healey wrote a letter imploring US Energy Secretary Chris Wright to move with a “sense of urgency” in issuing required permits for a gas expansion project to quickly move forward. Jordan Wolman digs into the unusual politics. 

STRIKE FORCE: Nearly 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are set to start their open-ended strike on October 14 unless a contract deal is reached with hospital leadership. Nurses are seeking cost of living increases, affordable health insurance, limits on the use of temporary travel nurses, and protections around patient care. Alison Kuznitz has more for State House News Service. 

OPINION: The Trump administration's proposed changes to Head Start would threaten the quality, scope, and services of the child care providers that often enroll some of the most vulnerable children in their communities, writes Michelle Haimowitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association. 


SCRUTINIZE THE BLABBER THAT MIKE MINOGUE PROPOSES! 
NO SOLUTIONS!
HE'S A WEALTHY TRUMPER WHO DOES NOT EVEN COMPREHEND HOW 
GOVERNMENT WORKS!      

 

Mike Minogue, the Republican mega-donor and candidate for governor, said this week he supports the concept of a legislative push to raise the share of health insurance spending on primary care — but worries that the state could find itself scrambling to funnel more and more money into the health care space unless costs can be controlled. 

Minogue, who spent 19 years as CEO of Abiomed, the Danvers-based heart pump company, joined hosts John McDonough of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute on this month's Health or Consequences podcast. (Gov. Maura Healey’s office did not respond to the show's invitation to appear.) 

A primary care taskforce and the state Senate have endorsed requiring insurers to raise primary care spending from roughly 7 to 8 percent of premiums today to 15 percent over several years. Minogue questioned whether the mandate would simply shift money from one part of the health care system to another without addressing underlying costs. 

“Instead of a problem solved, you take a piece of pie from someone and give it to someone else,” he said. "I haven't seen that work in health care. The way I like it is, let's get rid of some of the waste and fraud." 

Minogue, who has rolled out a “Patients First” campaign platform, pointed to pharmacy benefit managers as one target, arguing that PBMs have financial incentives to keep patients on brand-name drugs rather than cheaper generics, costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars. 

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On the Trump administration’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act's Medicaid cuts — which the Congressional Budget Office projects will cause 326,000 low-income Massachusetts residents to lose coverage and cost the state $2 billion a year in federal revenue — Minogue said he opposes anyone losing health care. His proposed response focused largely on administrative fixes: a 1-800 number and multilingual website to help Medicaid enrollees navigate new work requirements before they lose coverage. 

McDonough noted that about 7,500 documented legal immigrants were set to lose MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid coverage, on October 1. Trump administration restrictions on visas could make closing physicians and nurses staffing shortage more difficult, he said.   

Minogue did not address the MassHealth population directly, and said the state could “have incentives for people to stay here.”  

He mentioned Temporary Protected Status as a lawful way for people to be in the country. The Trump administration has been aggressively rolling back TPS status for many of the countries that support the health care workforce.  

Minogue noted that mental health needs are a significant strain on the system, touting work by the Michael & Renee Minogue Foundation on homelessness and addiction services. 

“We are not ready for the mental health crisis,” he said. “And I look at the mental health crisis as a health care issue, because what a lot of people do for care is they go to that emergency room. That emergency room is the most expensive, least compassionate, and efficient way to treat them.” 

On the Health Policy Commission, the independent state agency focused on health care affordability, Minogue declined to propose specific changes.  

“Well, I haven't been on the inside,” he said, but “what I would say is that the results are the results. We have the most expensive [commercial] health care in America. We have the longest [emergency room] wait times on record since we've been tracking in the Boston ERs.” Those sorts of realities, he said, mean “we need to do something different.” 

He said he would seek a shared savings model agreement with federal health officials, where the state establishes a benchmark budget and works to manage care more efficiently. If the state spends below that agreed-upon baseline, the resulting "savings" are split between the federal government and the state. Minogue said he would push to keep 80 percent of any savings generated. 

When Hattis pressed him on hospital market consolidation, which state data has consistently linked to higher prices, Minogue said he would push large systems to expand into communities through surgery centers and clinics, reducing pressure on Boston hospitals.  

Minogue also addressed the state's individual health insurance mandate, the mechanism that has helped keep Massachusetts's uninsurance rate at 2 to 3 percent, the lowest in the country, for 20 years. He said he wouldn't commit to supporting or opposing it without more study. 

“In concept I agree with it — that people should pay something for health insurance,” he said. “The problem is who pays and makes up the difference. There's a reason we're the most expensive health care in the country.” 

MORE CONTEXT

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Election event: Voting like your life depends on it

Worcester County reported a 67 percent voter turnout rate in 2024. What — if anything — does this tell us about overall health in Central Massachusetts?

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Hallie Claflin will be in Worcester to discuss the connection between civic participation and wellbeing with Elana Brochin of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations, Casey Burns of the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester, and Jerren Chang of Partners in Democracy.

 
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BALLOT QUESTIONS: A dive into the crosstabs of a new CommonWealth Beacon poll reveals a striking divide between voters and party leaders on two of the nine ballot questions, Jennifer Smith reports.  

POLITICS: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu endorsed Gov. Maura Healey in her reelection bid, citing a “partnership to build a Boston and a Massachusetts that works for everyone,” Colin A. Young reports for State House News Service.  

OPINION: Recent moves in Massachusetts to restrict insurance coverage for GLP-1 medication only shifts the costs and limits who in our state has access to the drug, deepening inequities, writes Courtney Desy, an oncology nurse and CPA. 

 

TRANSPORTATION: Somerville is experimenting with several street makeovers that intentionally make it harder to drive quickly on roadways, in an effort to prevent deadly crashes. (The Boston Globe – paywall)  

LAW ENFORCEMENT: Pittsfield police have spent $53,449 on equipment and deployed drones nearly 400 times since the start of 2025. (The Berkshire Eagle - paywall) 

NEWS: The Coast Guard called off the search for a medical transport plane that went missing off the coast of Nantucket after more than a full day of searching. Officials are still unsure of what caused the aircraft to disappear from the Federal Aviation Administration’s radar. (Boston.com) 

SPORTS BETTING: Massachusetts will launch an app to support people who are addicted to gambling. The new tool comes in a peak season for sports betting, and as more people have been turning to online resources for gambling addiction support.  (WBUR) 

COURTS: The US Supreme Court will allow third-country deportations to resume while legal challenges continue. Two of the four plaintiffs in the case are Massachusetts residents. (GBH News) 

 
 
 
 

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Trump’s Crew Has 58 Days Left. They’re Already Getting Caught.

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