Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested and in custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office  —  Summary  — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office  — Police say King Charles's brother is in custody and officers are carrying …

Trump appears ready to attack Iran as U.S. strike force takes shape  —  Although the United States and ally Israel have a decisive military advantage over Iranian forces, there are ways for Tehran to make any attack painful, officials said.  —  The Trump administration appears ready to launch …

‘No expense has been spared’: Inside a luxury jet DHS wants to buy for deportations  —  DHS leadership says the department needs the jet for immigrant deportations and Kristi Noem's travel.  A brochure given to passengers who recently flew on it with Noem highlights its …

In-Your-Face DOJ Aide Rides Prosecutors for ‘Chief Client’ Trump  —  When leaders of all 93 US attorneys' offices met for their weekly video chat last month, the 33-year-old Justice Department aide who presided had a blunt message.  —  President Donald Trump is their “chief client” …

Trump Order Aims to Boost Weedkiller Targeted in Health Lawsuits  —  An executive order aimed at ramping up production of glyphosate set off alarms among supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  —  President Trump issued an executive order late Wednesday aimed at spurring …

U.S. Trade Deficit Surged in December  —  Outsize swings in international gold trading fueled much of December's trend  —  The U.S. trade deficit jumped in December, the Commerce Department said Thursday, the latest leg of a turbulent year for America's trading relationships under the steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

South Korean Ex-Leader Is Sentenced to Life in Prison  —  Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was found guilty of masterminding an insurrection when he imposed martial law in 2024.  It was the country's biggest criminal trial in decades.  —  South Korea's Yoon Sentenced to Life in Prison

Exclusive: Senior DHS officials double down on arresting and detaining refugees in new memo  —  Hours after DOJ filed the new memo in court in Minnesota, a magistrate judge denied Law Dork's request for greater public access in the case — including remote electronic docket access.

FCC chairman says the agency is investigating ABC's ‘The View’ over equal time rule  —  The Federal Communications Commission is investigating ABC's “The View” over possible violations of the requirement that broadcast stations give equal time to political candidates when they appear on-air …

After leaving WHO, Trump officials propose more expensive replacement to duplicate it  —  HHS proposes spending $2 billion a year to re-create systems the U.S. accessed through the WHO at a fraction of the cost, according to officials briefed on the matter.  —  After pulling out of the World …

Goldman Lawyer, Epstein Conferred on Secret Service Prostitution Scandal  —  In a series of 2014 emails, the wealthy financier gave advice to the former White House counsel as the Colombian incident blew up.  —  Kathryn Ruemmler, who resigned last week as the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. …

An arts panel made up of Trump appointees approves his White House ballroom proposal  —  The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of President Donald Trump's appointees, on Thursday approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood.

The slavery exhibits at the President's House are beginning to be restored by the National Park Service  —  Almost a month after abruptly dismantling exhibits about slavery from the President's House, National Park Service employees began reinstalling the panels late morning on Thursday ahead of a court-imposed deadline.

Man Opposing Data Center Arrested for Speaking Slightly Too Long  —  An Oklahoma man tried to talk about a data center coming to his community.  Police arrested him when he went a few seconds over his time limit.  —  Police in Claremore, Oklahoma arrested a local man after he went slightly …

Donald Trump is mentioned in the Epstein Files over a million times.  This is an illustration of what that looks like.  —  A short video.  —  Replace every word in Anna Karenina, The Decameron, Ulysses, and Moby-Dick with the words “Donald Trump,” and you have some idea of what being mentioned over a million times looks like.

Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show  —  Exclusive: approximately 350-acre compound planned as base for multinational force, according to records reviewed by the Guardian  —  The Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza …

Susan Collins hands Trump the 50th vote against free and fair elections  —  Maine Sen. Susan Collins made news by adding her name as the 50th Senate supporter of the SAVE America Act — a massive voter suppression bill being pushed by Donald Trump.  —  MAGA conservatives cheered her addition for two reasons.

Europe answers Trump's call on Ukraine … - In 2025, European governments and institutions answered that call — surging military aid by 67% and financial and humanitarian support by 59%, according to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker.  — Over the same period …

DOGE Bro's Grant Review Process Was Literally Just Asking ChatGPT ‘Is This DEI?’  —  Federal grants that had been approved after a full application and review process were terminated by some random inexperienced DOGE bros based on whether ChatGPT could explain—in under 120 characters—that they were “related to DEI.”

Taking page from Adams, Mayor Mamdani proposes NYC library cuts … We rely on your support to make local news available to all  —  Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026.  Donate today  —  Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Pardoned Binance Founder Hobnobs With Trump Sons, Administration Officials at Mar-a-Lago Crypto Fest  —  Changpeng Zhao makes first return to the U.S. since his release from federal prison in 2024  —  In an ornate ballroom in Palm Beach, Fla., where a golden eagle loomed over a conference stage …

A Pause to Refresh  —  And a few notes on the state of the stack  —  One morning, when I woke from troubled dreams, I found myself transformed into an ... influencer.  [/end Franz Kafka]  —  I'm taking a semi-break.  I won't do a full post today, just offer a note on where things stand with this Substack.