Wednesday, October 22, 2025

October 22, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

House Judiciary refers Obama CIA director John Brennan to the DOJ for prosecution . . . House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday to refer former CIA Director John Brennan for criminal prosecution, alleging he lied to Congress. The letter states Brennan lied twice in a transcribed interview before the committee on May 11, 2023, as well as in a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing in 2017, although that hearing is beyond the five-year statute of limitations. All three instances were in relation to the CIA's involvement with the Steele dossier, a series of reports containing accusations about President Donald Trump's ties to Russia, which were delivered in 2016 to the FBI by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. Washington Examiner

There must be accountability for the efforts by the intelligence agencies to subvert our electoral process.

Politics

Tax the Whites: Mamdani pitches race-based property tax rates for New York City . . . Mr. Mamdani, whose agenda calls for free day care, free bus rides, government-run grocery stores and raising taxes on millionaires to pay for it all, said the city's residential property taxes are inequitable. Homeowners living in neighborhoods populated by minorities pay too much in property taxes, and those living in wealthier, Whiter neighborhoods don't pay enough, he said. Mr. Mamdani, 34, said the time has come to "shift the burden" from the city's outer boroughs to "richer" and "Whiter" neighborhoods. Washington Times

Ingrassia withdraws nomination after racist texts . . . Paul Ingrassia withdrew his nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel, a day after POLITICO reported a slew of inflammatory texts he made to fellow Republicans in a group chat, according to the messages. Ingrassia was set to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Thursday. But several Republican senators came out against the 30-year-old lawyer, dooming his bid. Politico

Trump destroying entire East Wing of White House as critics decry overreach . . . A demolition job that began Monday with the disappearance of the White House's eastern entrance advanced Tuesday with the destruction of much of the East Wing. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit created by Congress to help preserve historic buildings, sent a letter Tuesday to administration officials, warning that the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom "will overwhelm the White House itself," which is about 55,000 square feet. Washington Post

This is not what I had understood to be the plan. "It won't interfere with the current building. It won't be. It'll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of," Trump said during an executive order signing in July.

Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases . . . President Trump is demanding that the Justice Department pay him about $230 million in compensation for the federal investigations into him, according to people familiar with the matter, who added that any settlement might ultimately be approved by senior department officials who defended him or those in his orbit. Trump, a presidential candidate, was pursued by federal law enforcement and eventually won the election, taking over the very government that must now review his claims. New York Times

Homes With Trump Signs Were Passed Over for Federal Disaster Aid—Now the DOJ May Step In . . . The Justice Department could investigate Biden administration emergency response employees who "systematically" avoided helping disaster survivors who displayed yard signs or flags supporting Donald Trump or the Second Amendment. The report, issued by the DHS Privacy Office, also found Federal Emergency Management Agency staffers collected information about the political beliefs of disaster survivors and used that information to delay assistance. Daily Signal

Senate GOP chatter rises on filibuster reform to end shutdown . . . Senate Republicans are increasingly chattering about changing the filibuster's rules if Democrats do not end the shutdown, even though Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says he opposes weakening a tool safeguarding the minority's power. Even Republicans who have in the past have voiced staunch support for preserving the filibuster say that creating a carve-out to the 60-vote threshold to reopen the government is getting more talk. The Hill

National Security

Trump counterterrorism program kills 370 jihadists in 9 months, official reveals . . . At least 370 suspected jihadists have been killed in the first nine months of President Donald Trump's second term, a swift reckoning that has hampered major Islamist groups from Africa to the Middle East and set the stage for stepped up counterterrorism efforts on U.S. soil, the White House counterterrorism chief tells Just the News. "We're actually turning most of them into red mist," said Dr. Sebastian Gorka, senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Just the News

The new high-tech tool Trump is using to secure the border

Vance Vows: No US 'Boots on Ground in Gaza' . . . No U.S. troops will be on the ground in Gaza, Vice President JD Vance reassured Americans during a visit to Israel on Tuesday. "There are not going to be American boots on the ground in Gaza. The president of the United States has made that very clear," the vice president reiterated during a news conference. The Center Square

International

Freed Terrorists Paid $70 Million as Part of Palestine's 'Pay for Slay' Program . . . The Palestinian Authority in Gaza has paid recently released terrorists the equivalent of millions of dollars as part of a "Pay for Slay" program, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The recent ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel included the release of "250 Palestinian terrorists" in exchange for the hostages still being held in Gaza. Among the group, 160 terrorists received monthly payments out of the Palestinian Authority's "Martyrs Fund," which is estimated to have grown over time to $70 million, according to Palestinian Media Watch. Daily Signal

Trump's second meeting with Putin put on ice, White House official confirms

Japan's first female leader is an ultraconservative star from a male-dominated party . . . She admires former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and is a proponent of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative vision for Japan. A China hawk, she is a regular at Yasukuni Shrine, seen by China, the two Koreas and other Asian victims of Japan's World War II aggression as a place that glorifies the country's wartime past. She has called for a stronger military, more fiscal spending for growth, promotion of nuclear fusion, cybersecurity and tougher policies on immigration. Politico

As a student, Takaichi was a drummer in a heavy-metal band and rode a motorcycle.

Spanish priest acquitted after facing 3 years behind bars for criticizing radical Islam

You should also know

Woman shoots, kills groping suspect inside Compton beauty supply store . . . An investigation is underway after a customer shot and killed a man inside a Compton store who was reportedly threatening customers after groping a female victim, officials announced. While the man was reportedly threatening to kill and harm customers and employees, witnesses told investigators that they believed he was armed with a knife. "A second customer in the store, fearing for the store employees, herself and other customers, retrieved a personal firearm and fired a warning at the male," investigators said. "The male turned toward that customer, fearing she was going to be attacked, fired a second shot striking the male." KTLA Los Angeles

ChatGPT just came out with its own web browser. Use it with caution . . . The maker of the world's most popular chatbot, ChatGPT, launched a web browser this week that promises to make surfing the internet smarter. In exchange, ChatGPT Atlas wants permission to watch — and remember — everything you do online. The browser from OpenAI out-surveils even Google Chrome, and that's saying something. It doesn't just log which websites you visit, it also stores "memories" of what you look at and do on those sites. It can even grab control of your mouse and browse for you. Washington Post

Guilty Pleasures

Otter stealing surfboards in California, goes on joy rides . . . Visitors to a California beach are warning of an aggressive otter with a habit of stealing surfboards -- and it isn't the first time. Isabella Orduna said she was surfing Wednesday evening at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz when a sea otter bit her foot and climbed atop her surfboard. "I'd call it an exploratory nip," Orduna told The New York Times. "It didn't puncture my skin or anything." She said the otter remained on her board for about 20 minutes before being driven away with help from other beach-goers. UPI