Trump Is a Mamdani Fanboy Now, Apparently
Mamdani and Trump's love-fest. Plus: Q&A with epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera on RFK's vaccine-autism victory. Ukraine's "most difficult moment in history." And News That Doesn't Suck.
For daily news updates and analysis, be sure to follow us on Instagram.
I don’t know how this happened but Thanksgiving is next week. (Wasn’t it just July?)
The holidays are coming whether we’re ready or not. And this year, we’re curious about something: How are people actually navigating the whole gift-giving industrial complex when everything costs approximately one million dollars?
So we’re digging into the data. Are people using AI or social media to pick out gifts for their loved ones? (And if so, do you actually want what the algorithm suggests?) Are secondhand gifts the new normal? How does your generation approach this differently than your parents — or your kids?
Before we show you what the rest of the country is doing, we’d love to hear from you.
Will you take our quick holiday shopping survey?
Here’s the pitch: It’s short. It’s anonymous. We’re not asking for your name, email, income, credit score, blood type, or Netflix password. Just your generation. That’s it. We’re not selling your data or building some terrifying marketing profile. We just want to see how this community compares to national trends, then we’ll share the most interesting findings back with you.
In today’s newsletter: Trump and Mamdani give buddy-sitcom energy in the Oval Office. Trump offers Ukraine a “Peace Plan” that reads suspiciously like a Russian wish list. RFK Jr. edits the science out of autism and vaccine guidance — which is a bigger deal than you might think.
I discuss this with infectious disease epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, author of the Substack Making Science Make Sense. She explains why this will have enormous consequences for insurance coverage and families’ access to vaccines. Find that interview below. It’s worth your time.
Also today: Trump’s “piggy” comments, his “sedition” comments (unrelated), and the military’s new policy on hate symbols. We promise to end with News That Doesn’t Suck, because we all need it.
Here Are Your Headlines
Breaking: Texas on Friday asked the Supreme Court to reinstate its gerrymandered congressional map, which would give the GOP up to five more seats in Congress. A lower court concluded the map was unconstitutional.
From Foes to… Friends? Trump welcomed New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to the White House today for what was widely expected to be a tense confrontation — but ended up being a remarkably friendly affair. Trump has turned on the charm in early meetings with Democratic leaders before, but this was something else: He heaped praise on Mamdani, defended him from some of his allies’ attacks, said he’s “OK” with the fact some of his voters backed Mamdani, insisted he’ll be a “really great mayor,” and said he’d be happy to live in Mamdani’s New York. At one point, Mamdani was asked if he still thinks Trump is fascist; as he prepared to answer, Trump grabbed his arm, smiled, and said, “You can just say yes.” The pair apparently bonded over their shared love for New York and had productive conversations about crime and affordability. “The better he does,” Trump said, “the happier I am.” We’ll see how long this bromance lasts.
Working Together: Trump’s attitude was a stunning reversal from months of insults. He appeared to reverse his threats to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani was elected, saying, “I expect to be helping him, not hurting him.”
Crime: Trump seemed happy that Mamdani is keeping Jessica Tisch on as NYPD commissioner, calling her “a great friend of … Ivanka” and “really competent.” Mamdani said he wouldn’t reduce the number of police officers in the city. He reiterated his concerns with ICE; Trump insisted the pair would work out their differences.
Affordability: Mamdani seems to have convinced Trump to press Con Edison, which holds a monopoly on utilities in the city, to lower its rates.
Surprise! Trump insisted that Mamdani “is going to surprise some conservative people … and some very liberal people.” He repeatedly claimed “people would be shocked” at Mamdani’s beliefs, called the mayor elect a “rational person,” and told reporters “we agree on a lot more than I would have thought.”
Popularity: It’s no secret Trump loves winners — and attention. He noted there were more reporters pressing to see him and Mamdani than when foreign leaders have come to the White House. “You people have gone crazy,” Trump said. “The press has eaten this up.”
Dark Times: Trump has demanded Ukraine accept his 28-point peace plan by Thursday. It was reportedly crafted with Russian and not Ukrainian (or European) involvement. In a public address Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ultimatum means “either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner,” the US. Meantime, Vladimir Putin on Friday backed the plan, which effectively gives Russia almost everything it wants. The administration is reportedly threatening to halt weapons supplies and intelligence sharing to pressure Ukraine into accepting.
Groundhog Day: Ukraine would have to cede territory, including some it currently controls; reduce and limit the size of its armed forces; and change its constitution to permanently forgo NATO membership. Ukraine repeatedly dismissed these precise terms as unacceptable; one European diplomat called the proposal Groundhog Day.
Forgiveness: The plan would welcome Russia back into the international community, lifting all sanctions, returning Russia to the G8, and granting Russian officials amnesty for war crimes. The US would enter into a “long-term economic cooperation agreement” with Russia.
Money: $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would go to US-led rebuilding and investment efforts in Ukraine — from which the US would receive half the profits. These efforts may go toward areas controlled by Russia. The rest of the frozen assets would go toward a “US-Russian investment vehicle.”
Fool Me Once: Ukraine would receive “reliable” — but unspecified — security guarantees. A separate document describes these guarantees as modeled after NATO: Any “significant, deliberate, and sustained armed attack” by Russia “shall be regarded as an attack threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community.” Remember, in the 1990s Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees…
Unilateral: Trump’s plan makes commitments on behalf of US allies. It calls on NATO to stop expanding, alter its statutes to preclude admission of Ukraine, and agree not to station troops in Ukraine. That final point would undermine the plans of dozens of countries, including the UK and France, to station troops in Ukraine to ensure peace. Trump’s plan also calls for European nations to invest $100 billion into Ukraine.
No Surprise: The implementation of the agreement would be monitored by a Peace Council, led by — any guesses? — Trump.
In Flux: The White House cautioned that the plan is “in flux” and could change. Read all 28 points here and the separate security guarantees draft here.
RFK Gets His Way: We knew this was coming, didn’t we? Health Secretary RFK Jr personally instructed the CDC to update its website to now suggest the link between vaccines and autism that he has long insisted is there, despite the lack of any concrete scientific evidence. The agency’s website now states that the argument that vaccines don’t cause autism isn’t “evidence-based.” It further alleges that “studies supporting a link [between vaccines and autism] have been ignored by health authorities.” Experts are worried this will further decrease vaccination rates, exposing more people (especially children) to preventable, deadly diseases. Among those outraged? Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician and vaccine proponent who cast the deciding vote to confirm RFK to run HHS. At the time, RFK promised not to remove statements from the CDC confirming vaccines don’t cause autism. To be clear, that statement is still there on the website. But it’s now followed by paragraphs of text implying the exact opposite. For more on the implications of RFK’s change, watch my Q&A with epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, author of Making Science Make Sense, here:
Deadline: After months of fierce resistance, Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Wednesday, starting a 30-day timer for the DOJ to release the files. He took the opportunity to once again complain about “this latest Hoax,” which he claimed “will backfire on the Democrats just as all of the rest have!”
Unprofessional: Trump’s Education Department has reclassified nurses, physician assistants, social workers, educators, physical therapists, and other degrees as not “professional.” That decision limits how much would-be students can borrow in loans, making it much more difficult for them to fund their education — and, in the case of nurses, likely worsening a nationwide shortage that is already threatening patient safety. I discuss the implications of this change – including on public health workers – with Jessica Malaty Rivera in the conversation above.
Telling On Themselves: Six Democratic lawmakers who served in the military or intelligence community recorded a video reminding troops they can (and should) “refuse illegal orders” — and MAGA is furious. Trump accused them of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH,” and shared another post that said, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!” The district offices of two of the lawmakers in that video received bomb threats after Trump’s remarks. No-one was harmed. Trump on Friday insisted he’s “not threatening death,” but said the lawmakers are “in serious trouble” and implied senior administration officials were investigating. It’s telling that Trump and his allies are framing a reminder to refuse illegal orders as “insurrection” and “sedition.”
Triggered: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday urged people to “appreciate the frankness and the openness that you get from President Trump on a near-daily basis.” She was referring to Trump saying “quiet, piggy” to a female reporter who asked him about the Epstein files last Friday. Days later, Trump called another female reporter a “terrible person” for asking him about the files and asking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Rollercoaster: The DOJ on Thursday insisted a full grand jury did, in fact, review the new indictment against James Comey — one day after Trump’s handpicked prosecutor, who’s never before led a criminal prosecution, and the assistant US attorney both admitted the updated indictment was not reviewed by the whole grand jury. Comey’s attorneys aren’t buying it and tonight asked the judge to throw out the case against him, quickly. In their filing they allege that the DOJ prosecutor “signed a new two count indictment that the grand jury had never seen or voted on,” and asked the judge to dismiss the case due to the “flagrant nature of the government’s misconduct during the grand jury process.”
Hate to See It: The Washington Post revealed this week that the Coast Guard reclassified hate symbols like swastikas and nooses as “potentially divisive.” The DHS claimed the report was “fake crap” — but the Coast Guard on Thursday published a “new policy” reminding personnel that “divisive or hate symbols and flags,” including swastikas and nooses, “are prohibited” and cannot be displayed. The now-reversed changes to how the agency would classify extremist symbols were reportedly part of an agency effort to remove the concept of a “hate incident” from its regulations.
The Future is Fossil: Trump’s Energy Department announced a massive reorganization this week around fossil fuels and nuclear power. Multiple offices related to clean energy have apparently been eliminated. Meanwhile, the administration on Thursday announced new oil and gas drilling off the coasts of California and Florida — the first in decades. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the plan “dead on arrival.” And Republican lawmakers earlier this month introduced legislation to maintain a drilling ban off the coast of Florida.
Art of the Kickback: Democratic lawmakers have launched an investigation into the leadership of the Kennedy Center, accusing it of “profound disregard for fiduciary responsibility” and handing out “political favors” to Trump allies. After Trump reshaped the Center’s once-bipartisan board in his image, it has reportedly offered discounts, lucrative contracts, meals, entertainment, and luxury accommodations to Trump’s political allies.
Keep reading for information on:
A new ruling on National Guard troops in DC
The DOJ’s three (yes, three) new lawsuits against California
Who just entered the already crowded California governor race
Why tech investors are worried despite Nvidia’s record earnings
ISIS-linked violence surges in DRC despite US efforts
The chilling findings of an investigation into post-election violence in Tanzania
How many air traffic controllers had “perfect attendance” during the shutdown (and their reward)
Why Dolly Parton cancelled more events this week
News That Doesn’t Suck for women drivers
It’s all available for paid subscribers. Thank you for your support! You make our reporting work possible.
 | A guest post by
|