News From Around the Web
#1 Reporter Alleges FBI Knew Pipe Bomber Had Law Enforcement Ties Before Arrest - Steve Baker on X, Kyle Seraphin, Thomas Massie/Steve Baker, Armitas, Phil Kennedy, Eric CIAramella’s Dirty Whistle and Steve Friend on X
On October 16, 2025, FBI Assistant Director Marshall Yates briefed Rep. Barry Loudermilk's team and others about a FirstNet phone—a network for first responders—pinging near the DNC and RNC pipe bombs on January 5, 2021, indicating a law enforcement connection. Loudermilk later texted Baker that evidence pointed to U.S. Capitol Police involvement, though he has not commented publicly. Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old from Virginia with no law enforcement ties, was arrested in December 2025 after new FBI leadership quickly analyzed old evidence, leading to his confession. Baker questions why the FBI renewed its reward and released footage right after the briefing, fueling debate over the nearly five-year delay.#2 CIA Documents Reveal Gottlieb's Private 20-25% COVID Seroprevalence View - Steve Bannon's War Room, Rand Paul/Jeffrey A Tucker, Dr. Lynn Fynn-derella (ret), Kelly Neill, and Jessica Rose on X
Documents from Sen. Rand Paul's committee show former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb telling CIA leaders on May 7, 2020, that U.S. seroprevalence stood at 20-25%, not enough for herd immunity with an R0 of 3. This contrasted with his public comments citing lower rates near 8%, prompting claims from figures like Jeffrey Tucker that officials spoke differently in private. The release fuels discussion on early pandemic assessments, transparency, and whether rising natural exposure shaped withheld policy shifts amid mixed seroprevalence studies...#3 DOJ Sues Kansas School District Over ‘Secret Gender Transitions’ in First-Of-Its-Kind Lawsuit - Kaelan Deese for Washington Examiner, Nick Sortor, AAGHarmeetDhillon, Libs of TikTok, Eric Daugherty, and Visegrád 24 on X
The Trump administration filed a novel lawsuit in Kansas on Tuesday, accusing Kansas City Public Schools of allowing a policy to stand that, if implemented, would allow children to “socially transition” at school to a gender identity other than their biological sex while withholding that information from parents. The Justice Department called the case a “first-of-its-kind” lawsuit. The Department of Education is asking a court to block the school district’s internal transgender-student guidance — identified in the complaint as the district’s “Transgender Guidance” — which the government said violated federal laws protecting parents’ access to their children’s school records and requiring consent for certain sensitive student evaluations...
#4 Chevron Will Expand Venezuela Operations, More Than Doubling Production Through $7 Billion Investment - Spencer Kimball for CNBC, Election Wizard, The Associated Press, Bloomberg, Wall St Engine, and Reuters Venezuela on X
Chevron announced plans Wednesday to more than double its oil production in Venezuela over the next five years through a $7 billion investment that expands its position in the South American nation. The oil major has been assigned two additional oilfields in the Orinoco Belt, the region that contains most of Venezuela’s vast heavy duty crude reserves. Chevron plans to increase its production in the country to 600,000 barrels per day compared with around 280,000 bpd currently. Chevron is the only U.S. oil major active in Venezuela through joint ventures with state-owned oil company PDVSA. “With improved terms and additional acreage, we are strengthening a portfolio that we believe can deliver attractive low-cost oil growth, support energy supply and create differentiated long-term value,” Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said in a statement...
#5 GOP to Introduce Constitutional Amendment Limiting Supreme Court to 9 Justices - 4 NBC Washington, Nick Sortor, Ro Khanna/Nick Freitas, John Solomon,
anyone_want_chips, and Aaron Rupar on X
The proposal, H.J. Res. 1 by Rep. Andy Biggs, would amend the Constitution to state the Supreme Court shall have one chief justice and eight associates. Johnson framed it as a response to Democratic calls to add seats, forcing a two-thirds House vote under suspension of the rules. Democrats like Rep. Ro Khanna plan to vote no, arguing it admits Congress can expand the court to 13, while critics note the long odds of Senate approval and 38-state ratification. The move highlights ongoing tensions over the court's 6-3 conservative majority, set by statute since 1869...#6 Have Amish Children Been Diagnosed With Autism? Trump’s Post Explained - Alice Gibbs for NEWSWEEK, The Persistence/Donald J Trump, Nicolas Hulscher, MPH, Steve Kirsch/Children's Health Defense, Rob Schneider, and Adam Urato, MD on X
President Donald Trump has shared a graphic on social media that says, "No published case has explicitly documented an unvaccinated Amish child with autism"—a long-running argument frequently cited by vaccine skeptics. While the graphic Trump posted on Truth Social acknowledges that autism has been documented in Amish communities, it nevertheless suggests that vaccination status may be relevant to autism rates. The claim touches on two separate questions: whether autism exists in Amish communities and whether research has found a connection between vaccines and autism...
#7 Uber Cuts 3,300 Jobs to Streamline Management and Boost Efficiency - Bloomberg, Wall St Engine, Shay Boloor, Evan/WOLF, Investing.com News, and The Spectator Index/Mike Darlington on X
The company plans to eliminate about 3,300 positions, or 10 percent of its global workforce, by reducing managers by 20 percent, shrinking micro-teams, and limiting fully remote roles to 1 percent of staff. These steps address overlapping responsibilities and slow decisions from five years of tripling revenue, returning employee numbers to 2021 levels around 30,000, while freeing resources for robotaxi investments and core growth. Khosrowshahi recognized the hardship for those affected, but shares rose 2 percent in pre-market trading amid strong recent performance...
#8 Desantis Endorses Florida GOP Slate Including Byron Donalds in Governor’s Race - Alex Nitzberg for Fox News, Ron DeSantis/Byron War Room, Byron Donalds, Eric Daugherty, Dana Loesch/DeSantis Appreciation Society, and Florida GOP on X
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed a "slate" of Republicans statewide Tuesday, including GOP gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds. "I'm endorsing the slate here tonight ... because I know it's important for the state of Florida," DeSantis said at the Florida GOP Leadership Forum in Tampa. The event showcased Donalds, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson...
#9 How a Brazilian Billionaire Helped Shape Trump’s Beef Import Plan - The Wall Street Journal, Thomas Massie, leilani dowding/The Artist known as Jess, Diesel's Dad, Sandi Bachom/The General, and gaynor duncan/MAGA Cult Slayer on X
The Brazilian billionaire who shares control of JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker, lobbied President Trump to lower tariffs on beef imports as a way to tame rising U.S. prices. Joesley Batista met with Trump in the Oval Office on Aug. 20, and they discussed how additional beef supplied from Brazil could help if Trump dropped a 26% import tax, according to people familiar with the matter. It couldn’t be learned who organized the meeting between Batista and Trump.
#10 Crypto Bettors Give Democrats 51% Odds to Sweep the Midterms - Darryn Pollock for Be In Crypto, The Kobeissi Letter, Eric Daugherty, Molly Ploofkins, BRICS News, OSZ, and Tom Bonier/Polymarket on X
Cryptocurrency-based prediction platform Polymarket now gives Democrats better-than-even odds of sweeping both chambers of Congress in November. Trump's approval ratings are sliding, and gas prices just hit a fresh record. The odds have moved fast. A Democratic sweep sat at just 26% a year ago and 45% one month ago. Democrats Gain Ground as Trump's Support Slides. Polymarket's 2026 midterms market, called Balance of Power, puts the odds of a Democratic sweep at 51%. The House looks decided, with Democrats holding 89% odds. The Senate is closer, with Democrats at 51%...
