Good morning. Today marks one year since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. After a dizzying 2025, 2026 already feels like a full-speed sprint toward midterm elections chaos, where Trump’s agenda will hang on whether Republicans retain control of Congress. This year is going to be an exciting one. Buckle up.
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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
🇬🇱 Trump shifts away from "purely peaceful" approach to Greenland. President Trump told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre that he no longer feels obligated to think purely of peace after Norway's Nobel Committee chose not to award him the Peace Prize. Trump wrote that NATO should help the US acquire Greenland, arguing "the World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland."
💰 Elon Musk seeks up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft. Musk's legal team filed for damages between $79 billion and $134 billion, claiming he was defrauded when OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission to partner with Microsoft. OpenAI called the lawsuit baseless and part of an ongoing harassment campaign by Musk.
🔎 House Republicans eye fraud probes in blue states. The ongoing investigation into Minnesota's fraud scandal could spread to other blue states, according to House Republicans. GOP lawmakers said they want probes expanded into California, New York, Illinois, and Wisconsin, among others, as Congress bears down on Gov. Tim Walz's (D-MN) administration.
⚖️ Trump pardoned the father of a major donor. The president pardoned Terren Peizer, who had been convicted and sentenced to 42 months in prison for engaging in an insider trading scheme to avoid losses exceeding $12.5 million. His daughter, Isabela Herrera, donated $2.5 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC in 2024, and gave the group an additional $1 million last summer.
Re Greenland: This is President Trump’s signature negotiating move. He keeps maximal positions on the table to expand leverage, then forces movement. He used the same approach with Hamas, Iran, and China on tariffs. It’s difficult to see Europe not budging here. — Ariel
INSIDER RADAR
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro on being an Israeli double agent
Behind the paywall: Josh Shapiro, Kamala Harris, Stephen Miller, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Erika Kirk.
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QUICK AND IMPORTANT
A majority of young voters now reject both major political parties, reaching historic levels of disaffiliation.
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A new poll shows that women are more likely than men to justify political assassinations.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) skipped every meeting in 18 years on the Holocaust Museum board, inspiring a bipartisan push to oust him.
Rep. Eric Swalwell's (D-CA) gubernatorial bid was stalled after a court filing alleged he doesn't live in California.
INSIDER EXCLUSIVE
A groyper-aligned Republican could be Florida’s next governor
James Fishback has launched a Florida GOP primary bid amid his ties to the far-right, personal scandals, and minimal fundraising against Byron Donalds…
THE MAIN STORY
Anti-ICE agitators wage war on Christians
_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation after progressive activists disrupted a Sunday church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
_THE FACTS AND OUR TAKE_
Dozens of protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul during Sunday services, chanting "ICE out" and "Justice for Renee Good."
Local police made no attempt to remove the protesters — they simply waited outside the church while pseudo-journalists like Don Lemon entered the scene to berate the pastor…
Behind the paywall: What happened inside the St. Paul church, Don Lemon’s role, the DOJ’s legal case, and the major escalation against Christians. Plus, our thoughts on the story.
Should the DOJ crack down on Don Lemon and the anti-ICE protesters?
MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER
The biggest stories underreported on the left and right
Behind the paywall: Four major stories that were overlooked by both left and right news outlets.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Trump to Bibi: No.
There is no shortage of people who dislike Israel — including in the United States. Their arguments often fixate on US military aid, casting it as evidence that Israel controls American policy or that Washington bankrolls Israel’s wars.
Against that backdrop, Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly asked President Trump to end the aid. Some analysts have argued that the arrangement has slowed Israel’s development of an independent defense manufacturing base.
Trump declined. The reason is straightforward: the deal overwhelmingly benefits the United States. The money cycles back into American industry, sustains domestic production, and accelerates weapons development that strengthens American power. Trump understands that.
Netanyahu’s misstep is psychological, not strategic. The problem isn’t the aid deal. Critics would have found another reason. The resentment toward Israel comes first; the explanations come later.
TODAY’S DEBATE
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
Should President Trump invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (1,744)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (119)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (164)
👍 Yes: “The ‘mostly peaceful protesters’ have gone way too far and are out of control.” — Nicole
👎 No: “While I do think there is insurrection in Minnesota, invoking the Insurrection Act will only make it easy for the Left to use it inappropriately against their political enemies.” — Amy
🤔 Unsure: “If there's no other way and the state is not up holding the law, then yes. It's a sad situation that the rioting and destruction is going on in the USA!” — Russ
POP QUIZ
What does Elon Musk allege OpenAI did to justify his lawsuit?
Thanks for joining us today. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media—Ariel David and Brandon Goldman.
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