Some New Year's Day News

(A personal note)

When you push the button, it dances around and plays Glora Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”

Happy New Year!

Scroll down for a personal note (and a special offer). But first, let’s catch-up on the flood of news that greeted 2026.

• Year-end TACO. Trump Abandons Efforts to Deploy National Guard to 3 Major Cities - The New York Times

• Enshittification has consequences. “More musicians cancel Kennedy Center concerts after board votes to add Trump's name to the building”

• But the enshittification continues. “Trump administration terminates nonprofit’s control over DC golf courses in possible takeover bid.”

• Trump falls for another Russian Hoax. “Ukraine Did Not Target Putin’s Home, C.I.A. Finds.”

• Jack Smith lays out the case. “Trump 'caused' Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Jack Smith testified to Congress.” Read the full transcript here.

  “President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol…does not happen without him”

• Pete Hegseth was ready for his close-up. But not much else. “New York Times deep dive alleges Pete Hegseth donned makeup for Ukraine photo op — then ignored counterpart.”

  [Hegseth] traveled to NATO headquarters in Brussels and met with Ukraine’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov. The Ukrainians had repeatedly requested a proper sit-down. Instead it would be a brief stand-up affair in an anteroom.

  Beforehand, according to an American official present, Mr. Hegseth dabbed his nose with powder from a small compact. “Look commanding,” he told one aide. The handshake with the Ukrainian might be shown on Fox; the president might be watching.

  Then the standing meeting began, Mr. Umerov coming in close, taking his voice down to a whisper, assuring the secretary that he knew America’s political and security agenda might be changing. He didn’t ask for new aid. He just needed to know one thing: Would the U.S. military continue to supply the munitions Ukraine was counting on, the ones approved by Mr. Biden? Every delivery sustained the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines; every delivery that didn’t arrive one day meant those soldiers would die the next.

  Again and again, Mr. Umerov repeated his plea: “I just need you to be honest with me. Just be honest with me.”

  “I got goose bumps,” said an American official standing nearby. “He wasn’t pleading for the answer that he wanted, but just for honesty, some indication. He was saying: You can trust me; you can trust us. Just tell me what you guys are thinking.”

  Mr. Hegseth, aides said, simply nodded.

• No, despite the MAGA spin, the media is not ignoring the scandal in Minnesota involving some Somalis.

  

  This is bullshit, because you can read about it here: How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch - The New York Times

  Here: Several Billion Dollars Were Lost to Fraud in Minnesota, Prosecutors Say - The New York Times
  
  Here: Key questions about Minnesota's fraud schemes and the billions in losses - The Washington Post

  Here: About half of Medicaid's $18B in claims paid to Minnesota programs may be fraudulent, official says - The Washington Post
  

  Here: As fraud scandals erupt on Walz’s watch, accountability is scarce | CNN Politics
  

• The sordid Trump-Epstein saga enters a new year, with new details. Via the WSJ:

  Jeffrey Epstein wasn’t just a frequent visitor to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The club was also sending spa employees—usually young women—to Epstein’s nearby mansion for massages, manicures and other spa services, according to former Mar-a-Lago and Epstein employees.

  The house calls went on for years, even as spa employees warned each other about Epstein, who was known among staff for being sexually suggestive and exposing himself during the appointments, according to the former Mar-a-Lago employees.

  The spa occasionally provided house calls for members. Epstein wasn’t a dues-paying member of the club, but Trump told staff to treat him like one, the employees said. Epstein had an account at the spa where his companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, booked appointments on his behalf.

• Trump is still Trump.

A Note to Readers

The New Year is a good time for transitions.

Today marks the first day (pretty much in my entire career) that I am officially, completely, and fully autonomous, which is a polite way of saying, unemployed (at least in the formal, corporate sense).

A few months ago, I asked the folks at MSNBC to let me out of the final year of my contributor contract (which ran through the end of 2026). They graciously agreed and, frankly, were wonderful about it. They didn’t attach any conditions or limits. No NDAs, non-competes, or restrictions. Pure class.

But that’s the way they have always been. I want you to know that I thoroughly enjoyed the last nine years (!) I spent as a regular contributor at MSNBC (now MS NOW). The staff was unfailingly professional, kind, and supportive. I’m particularly grateful for the hosts, especially Nicolle Wallace, Katy Tur, Stephanie Ruhle, Chris Jansing, Joy Reid, Ali Vitale, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Brian Williams (back in the day), who were extraordinarily kind to an excommunicated former conservative radio host from the Midwest.

It’s been a helluva ride, and I hope they invite me back from time to time.

But after nearly a decade of cable punditry, I thought it was time for a change — and a full-time commitment to independent journalism like this newsletter. As of today, I’m all-in. This is it.

I’m not stepping back or slowing down. I’m not getting off the hamster wheel. (And I never really did.) This fight is too important for that.

So, I’m doubling down on what we’re doing here. We’ve hired a fantastic new producer, the splendid Yael Even Or, and have plans to grow both our podcast and YouTube channel.

For 2026, I have two goals (besides saving democracy and maintaining our collective sanity): (1) Grow the audience; and (2) Work harder to break out of our bubbles.

We can't continue just talking to ourselves or preaching to the choir. Never Trump has been vindicated in the most vivid and graphic ways possible. But we can't continue simply having the same conversations over and over and over again. Or get sucked into fan service or faux-corporate media stylings. So that's the challenge: reaching a new audience; while keeping it fresh and honest — straight, sober, snarky commentary that challenges conventional wisdom, and provides hope without pandering.

Trump is not forever. But we will have to navigate some rough times and ask some hard questions. Most important of all: We need to remind ourselves that we are not the crazy ones.

I very much hope you’ll come along.

So, to mark the New Year, I’m offering 40% off yearly paid subscriptions.

This is the fight of our lifetimes, and the challenge of our generation.

Right now, fewer than 10 percent of our readers are paid subscribers. That’s okay, because this newsletter — and the podcasts — are free. But if you find what I do is worth something to you, I hope you will consider a subscription.

Both the dogs and I are immensely grateful for your generous support. And, for this weekend, we’re extending this special offer:

ICYMI: Our Year in Reviews

Coming this weekend: Tom Nichols and I breakdown the late, unlamented year.

Subscribers can listen to an ad-free version right here… or you can watch on YouTube / Listen (and subscribe) on Apple/ Spotify / iHeart / RSS Feed.

New Year’s dog

The best boys.