☕ Daily Brief: Media Targets Hegseth (Again)
Also, Trump's plan for more babies
Editorial Team
April 23, 2025
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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
👶 The Trump administration is considering a $5,000 baby bonus. The Trump administration reportedly weighed new strategies to boost US birth rates after a record decline, including a $5,000 payment for new mothers and reserving government scholarships for married students or those with children. The administration also discussed launching programs to educate women on fertility cycles. These proposals reflect concern over the long-term social and economic impact of falling birth rates.
⛪️ The Supreme Court heard a case on parental religious freedom. The Supreme Court considered arguments from Maryland parents seeking the right to opt their children out of LGBT-focused lessons after a local school board reversed its previous opt-out policy. Parents of various faiths argued that this burdens their religious rights, while lower courts sided with the district. The outcome could set a national precedent on the limits of parental power in public education.
🏛️ The State Department is planning major restructuring. The State Department moved to shutter 132 offices and consolidate 137 others as part of a sweeping reorganization. This shake-up is intended to streamline operations, reduce bureaucratic overlap, and potentially cut costs across diplomatic programs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he was working alongside DOGE to bring the department “into the twenty-first century.”
🟦 The World Economic Forum opened a probe into Klaus Schwab. The World Economic Forum (WEF) launched a new inquiry into long-serving founder Klaus Schwab, days after his official announcement to step down as executive chairman. A whistleblower alleged that he and his wife engaged in financial and ethical misconduct, reportedly spending WEF funds excessively during their luxury travels. Instead of staying on the board through the transition period, Schwab resigned immediately.
INSIDER RADAR
Elon Musk on stepping away from DOGE
Insiders behind the paywall: Elon Musk, JD Vance, Pam Bondi, Scott Bessent, and Ron Johnson.
Tony Robins and Dean Graziosi
I recently sat down with Dean Graziosi for a different kind of conversation. We didn’t talk politics. We talked mindset, fear, and how people like you and me can take action—even when everything feels stacked against us. Dean’s built multiple businesses, written bestsellers, and helped millions. You can catch the transcript of the interview here.
Dean’s also teaming up with Tony Robbins for a live virtual event. It’s free, and it’s all about finding clarity in chaos—how to thrive (not just survive) no matter what the world throws at you. I’ll be tuning in.
You can tune in here if you’re interested too.
– Ari
QUICK AND IMPORTANT
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s net worth nearly doubled from $7.6 million to about $15 million during the COVID pandemic.
President Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16.
President Trump’s approval is above 50 percent with every age group except 70+, where he is 14 points underwater.
A Minnesota prosecutor is letting state employee Dylan Adams avoid charges despite surveillance footage showing him vandalizing Teslas and causing over $20,000 in damage.
INSIDER EXCLUSIVE
Trump isolates China’s paper tiger economy
China has had decades of unparalleled economic growth. Hundreds of millions were brought out of poverty. But now, that growth is slowing. And it’s happening exactly as the United States and other countries are pushing back on China’s unfair, but advantageous trade practices…
THE MAIN STORY
The renewed campaign to oust Hegseth
WHAT’S HAPPENING_
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing a coordinated media backlash following a series of new leaks and firings within the Pentagon.
Reports allege that Hegseth shared sensitive military information in a second private Signal chat, prompting renewed scrutiny from legacy outlets, including The New York Times, NBC News, and Politico. Even Hegseth’s former aides have come out against him.
The controversy stems from the removal of several senior Pentagon officials accused of leaking sensitive information. Some conservatives have slammed Hegseth for these firings, accusing him of intentionally ousting figures who are skeptical of foreign interventionism.
_THE FACTS_
Hegseth is accused of discussing military strikes in another Signal chat that included his wife and brother.
Hegseth claims the chat was unclassified, but NBC reports he shared US airstrike timing from a general that could have endangered pilots.
The White House brushed off the controversy as a "nonstory.”
The Defense Department (DOD) said the story relied solely on fired staffers with motives to sabotage the administration.
Three of Hegseth's top aides were fired last week over alleged leaks, including Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick.
Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot, once a Hegseth ally, published an op-ed urging Trump to fire Hegseth.
Trump has shown no signs of backing down, remarking that Hegseth is “doing a great job,” and praised the upswing in military recruitment under his leadership.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Pentagon is "working against" Hegseth because of the reforms he's implementing.
Hegseth dismissed the reports as "anonymous smears" and blamed the media for trying to "slash and burn" reputations.
_OUR INSIGHTS _
Insights and analysis are for members only.
Insights behind the paywall: Dan Caldwell, Tucker Carlson, and the two opposing GOP factions.
MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER
How left and right outlets frame Trump’s plan to increase birth rates
Mentioned behind the paywall: Vanity Fair, The Independent, Breitbart, and The Post Millennial.
THE DAILY DEBATE
📊 Do you think the government can successfully boost birth rates?Results will be in tomorrow's newsletter |
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
Do you agree with Trump’s plans to pull $1 billion in funding from Harvard’s health research?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (1607)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (76)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (58)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (9)
👍 Yes: “Why should we, the taxpayers, fund our own demise?” — J.G.
👎 No: “He needs to use Congress to make these changes.” — Jennifer
👎 No: “Health research is too much of a potential benefit to humanity to cut it short.” — S.P.
🤔 Unsure: “If this were truly about DEI, I’d agree—but it feels more like it’s shifting toward protecting Israel’s interests. Hate speech is protected, so let the students protest...” — Shelby
💬 Other: “I think ALL federal funding to Harvard should be cut. If they want to remain ‘independent’ they shouldn’t depend on federal funding.” — Rich
POP QUIZ
Where is President Trump scheduled to travel in May? |
Today’s newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman, Anthony Constantini, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media.
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