Olivia Rodrigo criticized the Trump administration after one of her songs was featured in a government video promoting deportation efforts, The Guardian reports.
Hochul Praises Mamdani But Not His Policies
“New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spent the week celebrating Zohran Mamdani’s historic mayoral victory. Then, on Saturday, she made clear how far she’s willing to go with his progressive agenda,” Politico reports.
“The governor praised the democratic socialist ‘who’s lighting politics on fire’ — but that didn’t stop her from opposing his plan to make New York City buses free, questioning how he plans to fund universal child care and saying she’ll keep an eye on how Mamdani leads New York’s Jewish community.”
The Blue Wave T-Shirt
Just in time for the holidays, the Blue Wave T-Shirt is back.
Thune Pledges to Keep Senate in Session
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he plans to keep the Senate in session until both parties find a way to reopen the government, Punchbowl News reports.
During a rare Saturday Senate session, Thune took an increasingly hard line on the Obamacare premium tax credits, saying they were “Biden bonuses.”
Trump Says to Send Insurance Money ‘Directly to People’
President Trump proposed a compromise on health insurance payments, calling on Republicans to send federal payments that would go to insurers under the Affordable Care Act directly to Americans to bring an end to the government shutdown, CNBC reports.
Sleepy Don
A Washington Post analysis of multiple video feeds found that President Trump spent nearly 20 minutes apparently battling to keep his eyes open at a Thursday event in the Oval Office.
“It was a seemingly stark illustration of the strain of the presidency on a 79-year-old who typically keeps a vigorous travel schedule that even his aides say they struggle to keep up with — and who has reveled in calling his predecessor ‘Sleepy Joe’ Biden.”
Why Ossoff Hasn’t Flipped in the Shutdown Showdown
The Wall Street Journal looks at how Sen. Jon Ossoff — the only Democratic senator up for reelection next year in a state Trump won in 2024 — has become a symbol of the shutdown stalemate.
“He sharply criticizes Trump, saying the president needs to step in and make a deal. And he sticks tightly to that script, giving virtually the same answers every day no matter what the shutdown-related questions might be.”
An Audience of One
Playbook: “When President Donald Trump inevitably flicks on the television at Mar-a-Lago this weekend, Rep. Wesley Hunt is hoping the president catches a nearly 60-second message his campaign spent just $2,500 on, buying up every remaining spot of airtime on Fox News cable…”
“Hunt’s gambit — aimed at ingratiating himself with Trump by finding common cause with the president’s repeated calls in recent days for nuking the filibuster — is a sign of what has become the latest MAGA litmus test in contested GOP Senate primaries around the map.”
Trump Kills Free Tax Filing
IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered next year, the AP reports.
Trump Wants New Stadium Named After Him
“President Donald Trump wants the Washington Commanders to name their planned $3.7 billion stadium after him,” ESPN reports.
“A senior White House source said there have been back-channel communications with a member of the Commanders’ ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump’s desire to have the domed stadium in the nation’s capital bear his name. The new stadium is being built on the old RFK Stadium site that served as the team’s home from 1961 to 1996.”
Trump Clings to Filibuster Demand
President Donald Trump careened into the weekend with no sign of abandoning his futile “kill the filibuster” strategy to end the shutdown, despite a stinging week of political rebukes, Politico reports.
Where We Keep the Light
Coming next year: Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service by Josh Shapiro.
“Reflecting on what he’s learned by knocking on doors, serving his community, and tackling the tough problems that no one wanted to touch in new and different ways, Shapiro reminds us that government can be a force for good, that conventional wisdom is rarely wise, and there’s more that unites Americans than divides us.”
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Shapiro, Josh (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 01/27/2026 (Publication Date) - Harper (Publisher)
Quote of the Day
“I watched that election, which I was not much involved in. I didn’t support Virginia, the candidate. I didn’t do a lot of support for the other candidate. They asked me about Cuomo, and I said, well, it’s a question – do you want a thug or do you want a communist? So I wasn’t involved in that stuff too much.”
— President Trump, quoted by CNN.
Software Analysis Points to January 6 Pipe Bomber
The Blaze claims a suspect who allegedly planted pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters on January 6 is likely a former Capitol police officer who now works for the CIA.
The person’s home “appeared to be under the watch of law enforcement officers” on Friday night.
Stefanik Will Try to Tie Hochul to Mamdani
“Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) aims to challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in next year’s elections — and survive a tough midterm environment — by targeting New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as much as her actual opponents,” Axios reports.
“Stefanik’s gambit pulls back the curtain on a big part of Republicans’ emerging 2026 strategy — weather President Trump’s growing unpopularity by casting Democrats as socialists in Mamdani’s mold.”
NY1: GOP leaders quickly coalesce around Stefanik in campaign for New York governor.
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Trump Wine Hits Government Shelves
“The Trump Organization’s second-term push to monetize Donald Trump’s presidency has reached the aisles of military exchanges, as Coast Guard-run stores, which provide service members and their families with access to tax-free consumer goods, have stocked Trump-branded wine and cider,” Forbes reports.
Trump Has Taken a ‘Wrecking Ball’ to Democracy
Former President Joe Biden delivered a strong critique of his successor, arguing to a room of supporters that President Donald Trump has “taken a wrecking ball” to democracy, CNN reports.
Said Biden: “I knew Trump was going to taking a wrecking ball to the country, but I had no idea, I have to admit, I didn’t know there was going to be an actual wrecking ball.”
At times during the remarks, Biden addressed Trump directly: “You act in a way that embarrasses us as a nation, quite frankly.”
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