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Hey everyone, happy Monday evening. What a day. Federal agents raided Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home, a federal judge erupted at Trump’s Justice Department after hundreds of trees were chopped down at a D.C. golf course, Elon Musk was revealed to have quietly poured $276 million into saving Republicans, and Russia hit six Ukrainian energy sites right after Trump declared a “ceasefire.” We’ll get into all of it. But first, I want to share something urgent that happened to me today because many of you have messaged me about it. Good Morning America published this to their millions of viewers, claiming that I said it: The only problem? I never said it. They completely made up a quote and attributed it to me. This is insane. So not only do I have to deal with bots and AI impersonating me, I now have to deal with legitimate news organizations like Good Morning America just making up things I supposedly said. The good news is that GMA emailed me and told me they will be taking down the fake quote and the related videos from their platforms. Once I have more information, I’ll let you know. Moments like this are exactly why accurate, independent reporting matters so much right now. When even major networks get it wrong, and when the government is raiding the homes of members of Congress and investigating news outlets, you need sources you can actually trust. That’s what I’m working to build here every single day. No corporate owner, no billionaire backer, and no advertiser telling me what to say. I answer only to you. That independence is only possible because of readers like you. If you believe in journalism that gets the facts right and holds power accountable, please become a paid subscriber today. It directly funds the reporting, the interviews, and everything it takes to cover this moment the way it deserves to be covered. And if you’re already a subscriber, thank you. Please share this with one person who needs to read it.
Now, let’s get into today’s news. Judge Erupts at Trump’s DOJ After 430 Trees Are Chopped Down at DC Golf Course: “You Did Your Absolute Worst” A federal judge said she was “furious” after the Trump administration cut down at least 430 trees over the weekend at the public golf course Trump wants to renovate. The government gave notice of its tree removal plan just before 5 p.m. on Friday, and crews with tractors and heavy equipment were tearing down trees, including mature oaks and maples, by Saturday morning. At an emergency hearing Monday, Judge Ana Reyes spent more than 15 minutes berating Justice Department attorneys, saying, “What has happened has cost the government all its credibility in this case.” When a DOJ lawyer said they had done their “best,” Reyes shot back, “You did not do your best! You did your absolute worst!” She added, “I am thoroughly unamused right now.” The government had previously told the court it would not take irreversible action without completing required environmental reviews. The judge suggested the administration may have deliberately rushed the removals to avoid being stopped by the court. Reyes questioned why the government couldn’t have alerted her sooner, asking, “Do you have email? Do you have a cell phone? Do you have a regular phone?” She said the government may have “intended to do precisely what it has done,” moving too fast for the courts to intervene. “The question goes to whether or not I have been lied to,” she said. Reyes blocked any further changes to the golf course and warned that if her order is violated “by two seconds, there are going to be contempt proceedings.” She closed the nearly four-hour hearing by calling the situation “totally, totally beyond the pale.” The Park Service official in charge admitted there was no urgency to cut down the trees. Kevin Griess, the superintendent of the National Mall, was hauled into court and testified that he came up with the plan based on a 2019 report recommending the course be returned to its original “links-style” look with “very, very, very few trees.” He claimed the work moved forward now because staff freed up after summer America 250 events, and said he only knew about Trump’s redesign plans from social media. But when the judge asked whether there was any urgency to keep cutting down trees, Griess said, “not that I’m aware of.” Preservationists aren’t buying it, saying that even if the government deserves the benefit of the doubt, “they are not entitled to a suspension of disbelief.” Critics say the move is part of a pattern of Trump rushing to reshape Washington around his “pet vanity projects.” Trump wants to turn the 106-year-old public course into a championship venue that could host major tournaments, a project expected to cost between $20 million and $49 million. Opponents fear it will turn an affordable public course into an upscale venue for private events and wealthy golfers. “This is a tactic we’ve seen before from the Trump-Vance administration,” said Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward, which represents the plaintiffs, accusing the government of acting quickly “to irrevocably alter a cherished national landmark.” The head of the D.C. Preservation League called it “a deliberate effort” to bypass the courts. One plaintiff put it simply: “They seem to be moving forward any way they can, and looking for loopholes to get there.”
Omar Vows She “Will Not Be Silenced” as Democrats Condemn Raid on Her Home as a “Rogue Abuse of Power” Rep. Ilhan Omar called the federal raid on her home the “latest escalation” in Trump’s campaign of intimidation and vowed to keep fighting. “For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns,” Omar said. “This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.” Her spokesperson called the raid “an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement,” insisting, “The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong.” Photos from the scene showed Homeland Security agents carrying boxes out of her Washington home. The Justice Department confirmed only that it executed a “judicially authorized” search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, offering no other details.
Top Trump officials had openly telegraphed the investigation for months, and Trump brought Omar up at a rally just days before the raid. At his rally in Tennessee this past weekend, Trump attacked Omar’s upbringing and said Vice President JD Vance “and our people” were investigating her. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month there was an “ongoing investigation” into whether she lied on immigration forms and promised “something’s going to happen.” Vance has repeatedly accused Omar of immigration fraud without offering evidence, and said he and Stephen Miller were working to figure out how to investigate her. Omar has dismissed the allegations as “disgusting lies.” The raid also raises serious questions about longstanding Justice Department protocol to avoid overt investigative steps involving candidates in the run-up to an election, coming less than 30 days before she faces voters.
 Democrats across the party condemned the raid as political persecution ahead of the midterms. House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar called it “deeply disturbing” and evidence of the “corrupt weaponization of the federal government,” vowing “full accountability for the rogue abuse of power.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called it “an unprecedented abuse of power,” while Rep. Rashida Tlaib said it’s “exactly what a fascist police state does.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal called it a “dangerous sign of an authoritarian president,” and Rep. Ro Khanna called it “chilling,” adding that “any decent American needs to stand up and speak out.” The Congressional Black Caucus, of which Omar is a member, called the search “politically motivated” and pointed to Trump’s “vile, racist rhetoric” against Somali Americans. Rep. Jason Crow noted the administration had already tried and failed to indict him and other Democrats over a video reminding troops not to follow illegal orders. Civil rights groups denounced the raid, while Republicans responded by quoting Omar’s own words back at her. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group, called it “an obvious act of political persecution.” CAIR also blasted the Justice Department for focusing on a “witch hunt” while mishandling the Epstein files and pardoning January 6 rioters. Rep. Delia Ramirez went further, calling for the Department of Homeland Security to be dismantled. The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, posted an old Omar tweet reading “No one is above the law,” originally written during Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. Minnesota Republicans also circulated her 2023 comments urging people to “follow the facts” after Trump’s New York indictment.
Elon Musk Quietly Pours $276 Million Into Midterms in Bid to Save Republicans Elon Musk has quietly become the biggest known donor of the midterms, funneling more than $276 million to Republican groups since July. The world’s only trillionaire gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing GOP Senate candidates, one of the largest political donations in American history. That single gift was more than the group’s Democratic rival raised from all of its donors that quarter. He also gave $76 million to his own America PAC, $20 million to the main House Republican super PAC, $10 million to the Republican Governors Association, and $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association. In total, Musk has given about $366 million to federal committees this cycle, already far more than the roughly $290 million he spent to help elect Trump in 2024. And that’s only what’s public, as he has also made seven-figure donations through groups that don’t disclose their donors. The spending marks a dramatic reversal for Musk, who promised just last year to pull back from politics. “In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Musk said in May 2025, adding at the time, “I think I’ve done enough.” That was during his very public falling out with Trump, when he raged against the president’s domestic policy bill and floated starting a third party. But the two have since reconciled, appearing together at three events in the last two weeks, with Trump presenting him the National Medal of Science and calling him “our modern-day Thomas Edison.” Musk’s super PAC also confirmed for the first time that it plans to stay active in the 2028 presidential election. Democrats accused Republicans of trying to “buy these elections” to outrun “their unpopular candidates, unpopular president, and unpopular economy.” Texas has been a major focus, with Musk’s money helping prop up struggling Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Musk gave $10 million to a super PAC backing Paxton at a critical moment when he was being badly outspent, and America PAC has spent more than a third of its disclosed money on the Texas race. His massive donation to the Senate Leadership Fund came just before the group launched a $149 million pro-Paxton ad campaign after months of reluctance. Paxton, as Texas attorney general, has investigated Musk’s opponents, including the liberal group Media Matters. Musk’s operation has deployed nearly 3,000 paid canvassers nationwide, with one telling the Times he was paid between $1.50 and $3 for each door he knocked on in the Texas heat. Five of Musk’s seven posts on X this year about competitive midterm races have targeted Democrat James Talarico. Musk’s operation is leaning heavily on culture war attacks, especially on transgender issues and socialism, to drive turnout. Rather than persuading swing voters, America PAC is focused on turning out conservatives who rarely vote, which is much harder without Trump on the ballot. Canvassers in Texas are leaving literature claiming Talarico has a “radical trans agenda,” while the group’s top ad in the state attacks him over past comments that “God is nonbinary.” Its ads also target Democrats like Iowa Senate nominee Josh Turek, and one widely seen Facebook ad shows a man in makeup with the caption, “Don’t stay home while crazies elect radicals.” The group regularly brands Democrats as socialists, tying them to figures like Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, even when the candidates don’t identify that way. Much of the outreach steers voters to its VoteSafe website, which election officials in several states have warned against using.
Trump’s Ukraine Crisis Deepens as Russia Hits Six Energy Sites After “Ceasefire” and U.S. Envoys Reportedly Hinted at Cutting Intelligence The crisis began at Steve Witkoff’s private golf club, where U.S. envoys blindsided Ukrainian and European officials with the diesel deal and an implied threat. Senior Ukrainian and European officials had gathered at Witkoff’s Shell Bay club near Miami on Friday for six hours of peace talks with Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to The New York Times. Midway through, the Americans announced the U.S. would suspend sanctions on Russian diesel and demanded Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries. When a Ukrainian official asked what Ukraine would get in return, the Americans said the U.S. was already doing a lot and pointed to its intelligence assistance, which some in the room heard as a veiled threat. A U.S. official denied any threat but admitted Trump had grown so angry with Ukraine that “it was hard to say what he might do.” A senior EU official later told European ambassadors that the Americans appear to be engaging with Russia far more than they publicly acknowledge. Russia struck six Ukrainian energy facilities after Trump declared his “energy ceasefire,” while Ukraine held its fire. Zelensky said Russian attacks hit gas stations, power plants, and other infrastructure, injuring 33 people, adding, “We did not attack, while Russia attacked.” He called it “Putin’s answer to President Trump” and said he isn’t sure “Putin is ready.” On Monday evening, a Russian drone struck a 25-story apartment building in Kyiv, killing two people and injuring nine. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine doesn’t deserve the “respite” a ceasefire would bring, while the Kremlin still won’t confirm it agreed to anything. Asked how the deal came together, Trump said Russia and Ukraine agreed “because I said you agree.”
 The feud is now the worst crisis between Washington and Kyiv since last year’s Oval Office blowup, putting U.S. support for Ukraine in doubt. Witkoff and Kushner have reportedly put their planned trip to Russia on hold until Zelensky mends fences with Trump. Zelensky pushed back on Trump’s claim that Ukraine is driving up fuel prices, saying, “Everybody understands that it depends on the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.” Indeed, export data shows the spike in diesel prices stems largely from Trump’s war with Iran. A bipartisan group of six senators, including Republicans Susan Collins and John Curtis, urged the administration to “immediately reverse course,” saying the U.S. should not give Putin “a financial lifeline.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas added that she’d welcome a ceasefire that includes “people not being killed, not only energy.” Meanwhile, Ukraine’s retaliation against Russian data centers is exposing a major weakness in Russia’s digital economy. After Russia attacked Ukrainian data centers in late September, Ukraine knocked out three major data centers owned by Yandex, known as “Russia’s Google,” including facilities housing all three of its AI supercomputers. The strikes have disrupted payment apps, banking, email, e-commerce, streaming, and food delivery services across Russia. Even pro-Kremlin bloggers are now warning that Russia’s “hyper-centralized” digital system has become a “weak link” in the war, and that the country wasn’t ready for the “data center war” it started. By contrast, Ukraine spread its data across smaller sites and moved key government services to Western cloud providers abroad. One Russian IT expert estimated it could take up to six months to replace the damaged equipment. Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian data centers have sharply cut Russian bot traffic, including traffic aimed at American websites. After Russia ramped up attacks on Ukraine’s data centers, telecom providers, and other digital infrastructure, Ukraine retaliated by hitting facilities owned by Yandex, often called “Russia’s Google.” The strikes knocked major portions of the company’s data center operations offline, disrupting online services across Russia. Data from Cloudflare Radar shows automated web traffic coming from Yandex’s network plunged by roughly 99% from its recent peak. That includes bot traffic directed at websites here in the United States. For Americans who have watched social media feeds, comment sections, and political conversations fill up with suspicious accounts, spam, and coordinated messaging, even a temporary drop is a welcome change. Still, it doesn’t mean Russia’s disinformation machine has been defeated or that every fake account and cyber threat has disappeared.
Other news: U.S. bankruptcy filings jumped 11% in the first nine months of 2026, with small business filings soaring 46%. Nearly 470,000 individuals and businesses filed for bankruptcy from January through September, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute. Small business filings under a special fast-track process hit 2,442, up 46% from the same period last year. Experts pointed to high borrowing costs, rising household expenses, growing consumer debt delinquencies, and a softer job market. Inflation spiked after the Iran war began in February, peaking at 4.2% in May, and remains well above where it was before the war. Large corporate bankruptcies are also running 22% above their 20-year average, with 28 filings involving companies holding more than $1 billion in assets over the past year. Pennsylvania reported a sixth measles-related death as the state battles its largest outbreak in three decades. The latest victim was an unvaccinated 39-year-old woman in Franklin County who had underlying medical conditions, with the coroner citing a probable cardiac event tied to measles complications. That’s six deaths in less than two months, including two infants, an 18-year-old, and a 20-year-old with leukemia. The state has confirmed 1,136 cases and 219 hospitalizations, but leading vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit believes the real number is closer to 6,000, saying officials are “vastly underestimating” the outbreak. Fewer than 1% of Pennsylvania’s cases have occurred in fully vaccinated people, and two doses of the MMR vaccine offer 97% protection, usually for life. Nationally, the U.S. has recorded 4,080 measles cases this year, the most since 1991. A Republican super PAC backing Sen. Susan Collins accidentally spent thousands on attack ads in the wrong Portland. The group Defending Main Street paid between $20,000 and $25,000 for a 30-second ad attacking Collins’ Democratic challenger Troy Jackson over taxes and the cost of living. But instead of reaching voters in Portland, Maine, the ad was shown more than a million times to audiences in Portland, Oregon, and across Washington state, more than 3,000 miles away. The mix-up came to light after an Oregon resident posted that she’d seen five anti-Troy Jackson ads in a single day. “It’s clear these people don’t know anything about Maine,” said a Jackson supporter, adding, “I’m glad they’re wasting their money in Oregon.” The Maine Senate race has become one of the most expensive and closely watched contests in the country. The U.K. says Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were “almost certainly” behind a suspicious incident at a British airbase used by the U.S. military. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Parliament the episode at RAF Fairford was “highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran,” the government’s firmest attribution yet. Five men drove three white vans to a village next to the base shortly after midnight on September 27, though they were released on bail after no explosives were found. A week later, the U.S. withdrew 12 B-1 bombers from the base amid reported fears of a drone attack. The U.K. summoned Iran’s ambassador and announced new sanctions, including on two individuals accused of spying and attacks in Europe and the U.S. The incident follows a wave of alleged Iran-linked plots across Europe targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists, and American interests. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the ICE agents who shot a man in front of his 5-year-old looked like “mass shooters” and called for the agency to leave the city. In his first interview since the shooting in Marble Hill, Mamdani said the plainclothes agents in videos of the scene didn’t even look like law enforcement, saying, “It feels like you’re looking at a mass shooter.” Oscar Bergal, 28, was shot in the neck while his son sat in the back seat, and he remains in federal immigration custody in Brooklyn. Mamdani said ICE agents “view the law as a suggestion,” noting the NYPD generally bars officers from firing at people in vehicles. He said he spoke directly with Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and made clear the NYPD would review the shooting. Immigration officers have shot at least two dozen people since Trump returned to office, killing three U.S. citizens. Sean “Diddy” Combs was reportedly rushed from federal prison to the hospital with a head injury. According to TMZ, Combs was taken from Fort Dix federal prison in New Jersey early Saturday morning, with the injury described as non-life-threatening and Combs conscious. His spokesperson said the team is “working to confirm the circumstances,” and the prison declined to comment. Combs, 56, is serving a 50-month sentence after being convicted in 2025 on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. His release date was recently pushed back to March 2028 after an NBC News report revealed he allegedly paid other inmates to clean his cell, cook his meals, and supply him with contraband phones and alcohol. His spokesperson has dismissed the reports as the media characterizing “ordinary prison life as news.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93, has filed paperwork to run for reelection in 2028, raising the possibility he could serve past his 101st birthday. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who is third in line to the presidency as Senate president pro tempore, submitted his filing with the Federal Election Commission. If he runs and wins, he would be in office well into his 100s. The move comes as Grassley has led an aggressive pursuit of former special counsel Jack Smith, who testified before the Senate in late September. Democrats have called Grassley’s pursuit of Smith a “stain” on the Senate. It raises fresh questions about age and leadership in Congress at a time when voters across the spectrum have voiced concerns about aging politicians. About 70 runners in a Utah ultramarathon had to be evacuated after being stranded by flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel. The Moab 240, a grueling race of roughly 240 miles through the desert, was canceled as fallen trees, powerful winds, freezing temperatures, and heavy rain battered the course. Organizers said aid station structures were blowing away and conditions were expected to get even worse overnight. The local sheriff’s office worked with race organizers to send shuttles and personnel to pick up stranded runners. Organizers later confirmed that “all runners are accounted for” and everyone made it out safely “despite the wild weather.” A flood watch remained in effect across most of Utah through Monday afternoon as the storm continued moving through.
See you soon. — Aaron |
