•Caribbean Controversy: The Pentagon confirms another U.S. strike on a suspected drug boat, but insiders question whether the targets are really traffickers. A key Central Command leader resigns in protest and the fallout may land on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

•Ukraine and Russia: President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, then prepares for peace talks with Vladimir Putin in Hungary. The administration walks back plans to send Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, signaling possible leverage ahead of negotiations.

•Russian Agents Foiled: French authorities stop an assassination attempt on Russian dissident Vladimir Osechkin, deepening tensions between Moscow and the West.

•Targeted Shutdown Strategy: OMB Director Russ Vought halts Army Corps of Engineers projects in deep-blue cities, part of a strategic shutdown push aimed at putting pressure on Democrats. Meanwhile, new polling shows the public is starting to blame Democrats for the stalemate.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•Democrats Block Military Pay: Senate Democrats vote for the 10th time to keep the government shut down and against paying U.S. troops. The president vows to fund the military anyway, daring Democrats to challenge him in court.

•Wall Street Jitters: Markets tumble as regional bank loans come under scrutiny, echoing 2008 fears of a hidden financial crisis. 

•Trump’s High-Stakes Diplomacy: The president prepares to meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and later, Vladimir Putin in Budapest, to push for an end to the war. Could Tomahawk missiles or direct peace talks shift the global balance?

•IRS Power Shift: The administration begins replacing left-leaning officials at the IRS with conservative loyalists, promising to target progressive nonprofits for audits after years of bias against conservative groups.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•Judge Halts Trump’s Federal Layoffs: A progressive federal judge temporarily blocks the administration’s government-wide firings, pausing more than 4,000 layoffs across eight agencies.

•Pentagon Scare Abroad: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s plane makes an emergency landing in the UK after a cracked windshield mid-flight. 

•CIA Targets Venezuela: President Trump expands covert operations against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, reasserting the Monroe Doctrine as China, Russia, and Iran grow their presence in the Western Hemisphere.

•Shutdown Stalemate Deepens: Senate Democrats again block a Republican-backed continuing resolution — even as media coverage disappears and Americans barely notice the shutdown’s effects.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•25 Years of Marriage: Erick marks his silver anniversary with humor before digging into how leadership, markets, and manufacturing all rely on long-term commitment, just like marriage.

•Hamas Defies Peace Plan: Despite returning several hostages, Hamas refuses to disarm and rejects President Trump’s Middle East peace framework. Erick explains the complex tribal and political divisions among Palestinians and why Arab nations are backing the U.S. approach.

•Powell Signals Rate Cuts: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hints that rate tightening is ending soon as inflation eases and the upper-middle-class drives limited growth. Still, labor participation remains low and employers hesitate to hire amid tariff pressures.

•GM Retreats from EVs: General Motors takes a $1.6 billion charge and pivots away from electric-vehicle production after federal subsidies end, admitting consumer demand isn’t there. Toyota’s hybrid strategy looks smarter by the day.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•Historic Peace in the Middle East: President Trump returns home after a landmark trip to Israel and Egypt, hailed by world leaders for brokering peace and securing the release of Israeli hostages.

•Market Recovery & China Relations: Stocks rebound after confusion over China’s export policies. What looked like a trade war threat turns out to be regulatory noise, calming investors and stabilizing the markets.

•Economic Divide Widens: Private data reveals America’s top earners are keeping the economy afloat as defaults rise and hiring slows. Businesses struggle under tariffs and turn to AI instead of hiring new workers.

•Obama Blasts Progressives: Former President Barack Obama warns Democrats that “holier-than-thou” progressivism is costing them elections and urges the party to reconnect with everyday Americans.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•Federal Layoffs Begin: OMB chief Russ Vought launches firings across Health & Human Services and the Department of Education, targeting DEI-focused positions as the government shutdown drags on.

•Trade War Escalates: China restricts rare-earth exports, sending the Dow down 600 points as President Trump retaliates with new tariffs and vows to restart U.S. mining.

•Sexual-Harassment Scandal at DHS: Trump nominee Paul Ingrassia faces serious misconduct accusations amid ties to far-right figures like Andrew Tate, putting his nomination for Special Counsel in jeopardy.

•Melania Trump vs. Putin: The First Lady leads efforts to repatriate kidnapped Ukrainian children, directly negotiating with Vladimir Putin in a rare act of diplomatic initiative.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•Comey Pleads Not Guilty — The former FBI director’s trial is set for January, but even prosecutors admit the case may fall apart under pressure from the Justice Department.

•California Fire Arson Arrest — Authorities charge 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht with intentionally setting the deadly Palisades Fire once blamed on climate change.

•Shutdown & Epstein Files Spin — Senate Democrats claim Republicans are blocking the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s files, a talking point that collapses under basic scrutiny.

•PBS Sells Bob Ross Art — Public TV finally releases the painter’s iconic works to fundraise amid Republican calls to defund PBS and NPR.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•Federal Pay Fight: The Trump administration threatens to withhold back pay from furloughed workers during the shutdown, testing a 2019 law and putting pressure on Democrats to end the standoff.

•Gold Surges Past $4,000: Markets react as global investors ditch the dollar and turn to gold amid economic uncertainty and shifting currency reserves.

•Supreme Court Skeptical of Conversion Therapy Ban: Even liberal justices question Colorado’s law restricting counseling, signaling a likely 9-0 defeat for progressives.

•Republicans See Momentum in Virginia: GOP funding pours into key races as Democrats refuse to denounce candidate Jay Jones after his violent text message scandal.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•AI Boom or Bubble? Elon Musk’s new Memphis data center, OpenAI’s chip deals with AMD and NVIDIA, and Wall Street’s heavy bet on artificial intelligence could signal economic imbalance.

•Farmers Face Shutdown Fallout — 27 million acres in federal conservation programs go unpaid as the shutdown drags on, hurting rural communities across America.

•Targeting Blue States — President Trump directs budget pressure toward Democrat-held districts while GOP swing-state lawmakers feel the squeeze from suspended programs.

•Virginia’s Jay Jones Scandal — A Democratic candidate who privately fantasized about assassinating a GOP leader refuses to quit and party leaders stay silent.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.

•U.S. Military Strikes Narco Vessel – The American military destroys a drug-running ship off Venezuela, sparking protests from Democrats and the Venezuelan government.

•Trump Targets Sanctuary Cities – $2.1 billion in federal funds withheld from Chicago, with Portland possibly next, as the administration cracks down on cities protecting illegal aliens and Antifa activists.

•Deadline for Hamas – Trump sets a Sunday deadline for Hamas to accept his peace deal or face total destruction. Polling shows majority support among Israelis for the plan.

•Shutdown Showdown – Speaker Mike Johnson signals the House may remain on recess until Democrats agree to reopen the government. Republicans frame the battle around illegal immigrant healthcare benefits while Democrats push for expanded funding.

Erick Erickson breaks down the four major stories you need to know before the day ends. From political power plays in Washington to breaking developments the mainstream media is ignoring, this rapid-fire update cuts through the noise.

Get the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite app. 

Stay grounded, stay informed, and keep the faith.