WEEK 13: MARCH 24 - 30

• Donald Trump, who should, by all accounts, be extremely busy, took time to express his displeasure with a very flattering portrait of him in the Colorado state Capitol. To add insult to injury, it appears that the portrait was the result of fundraising from his base, and they were quite proud of the portrait. Read more via NBC

• The U.S.’s top defense and national security leaders discussed strikes in Yemen on a group chat in Signal, an encrypted messaging application that is not the most secure way to discuss classified information. Typically, professionals at this level go to a SCIF to discuss war plans and other top-secret initiatives. This was all uncovered by an Atlantic editor who was accidentally added to the chat. During a congressional inquiry this week, Tulsi Gabbard looked chastened and embarrassed. She had few answers for members of Congress. Read more via CNN

• Interim US attorney Ed Martin ( a MAGA and “Stop the Steal” promoter) learned a necessary lesson during a community discussion at Martha’s Table in Anacostia: DC’s Black residents will always expect politicians to come prepared. Woe to those who aren’t. Read more via The Washingtonian.

Week 12: March 17-23

• The United States is not at war, but Donald Trump is using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador. To date, no one has a list of names or alleged crimes. In the process though, the Trump administration has had time to film and promote Sicario-style content of the deportations. Isn’t this against a judge’s ruling? According to Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, that doesn’t matter. Read more via ABC

• The Trump administration plans to deploy the U.S. military to the Southern Border. When will this occur? How many people will be deployed? Will they detain migrants crossing the border? Right now, there are more questions than answers but so far we know this marks the military’s most direct role in border security. Read more via The Washington Post.

Week 11: March 10-16

• President Zelensky of Ukraine has apologized to Donald Trump for the debacle in the Oval Office. There is no word yet on whether Donald Trump and JD Vance have similarly apologized for (or even explained) their role in the argument. Read more via The Hill

• In another embarrassing Oval Office meeting with a head of state, Donald Trump asserted that the European Union (EU) and Ireland (which is an EU member) take “advantage” of the United States. He made this inflammatory statement in the presence of Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and then, once again, referred to previous U.S. leaders as “stupid.” Read more via the AP

• After a tense week of debates and likely hundreds of thousands of calls to the Hill, ten Senate Democrats broke ranks with (what appears to be) the party’s wishes and voted with Republicans to avert a government shutdown. A government shutdown would be horrific, yes, but most Democrats voted no on the Continuing Resolution to force Republicans back to the negotiation table. The ten Democrats are: Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Kirsten Gillibrand, Maggie Hassan, Angus King, Gary Peters, Michigan, Brian Schatz, Chuck Schumer, and Jeanne Shaheen. Read more via NPR

Week 10: March 3-9

• This didn’t just happen, but it’s finally making the news. One of the many executive orders Donald Trump signed when re-entering office was designed to change architecture in Washington, DC. Trump (or the Project 2025 authors) isn’t a fan of brutalist architecture and prefers the “classical” style. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) opposes his plans, which could impact DC’s communities. Read more via The Art Newspaper

• Donald Trump delivered a long presidential address, rife with factual inaccuracies, to a joint session of Congress. During the address, Rep. Al Green was escorted out of the theatrical event for refusing to sit down. Other Democratic members of Congress held up protest signs. One member, Rep. Stansbury, had her sign (which said “This is NOT normal”) ripped from her hands by an unruly Republican member. Read more via Reuters

• Ten Democrats voted with Republicans to censure Rep. Al Green for his act of civil disobedience during Donald Trump’s presidential address. Judging by the response, those Democrats are out of touch with voters’ expectations and may face primary challengers. Read more via CNN

Week 9: February 23 - March 1

• President Zelensky’s meeting at the White House was, in sum, horrifying. We have never seen such an undiplomatic welcome for an allied nation at 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue. At different intervals during the discussion about the future of Ukraine, Donald Trump berrated Biden (referring to him as "stupid"), randomly referenced Obama and Bush, and mentioned Hunter Biden's laptop. Those confusing statements were sandwiched between Donald Trump and JD Vance, with raised voices, demanding more gratitude. Ukraine is in critical need of support. Yet, if this meeting (and the cancelled press conference) indicates where the relationship stands, Ukraine may not receive additional funding or resources from the United States. Read more via BBC

Week 8: February 16 - 22

• There are discussions on the news about one of Donald Trump’s latest social media posts, which implies you can do anything to save your country and won’t break the law. Emperors and tyrants have previously parroted that same quote. Was he talking about himself? His followers? All of the above? Read more via Democracy Now

• RFK Jr. is now leading the nation’s top public health institution. His first targets? Medications for ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, and depression. Because at a time like this, we really need the alleged worm in his brain actively working to take away the country’s access to SSRIs. Read more via Vanity Fair

• Elon Musk’s dodgy DOGE delinquents fired nuclear safety experts at the U.S. Department of Energy with no knowledge of how vital their roles are for the security of the United States. Upon trying to rehire them, there’s reportedly been difficulty in finding the staffers as the former employees do not have access to their former U.S. Department of Energy email addresses. Read more via MSNBC

• The White House’s official social media accounts posted a quote attributed to Donald Trump that says, in part, “Long live the king.” As a reminder, the United States of America’s founding fathers were not fans of monarchies (to say the least), and our country, by law, does not have kings, queens, or emperors. Read more via NYT

Week 7: February 9-15

• Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old previously fired for leaking company secrets, is now a senior advisor at the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security. Of course, the teenager, better known as “Big Balls” online, has raised concerns in both agencies. He has access to sensitive information; if the past is prologue, he could give that information to adversaries. Read more via Yahoo News

• Thwarting DOGE’s attempts to take over the U.S. Treasury, US District Judge Paul Engelmayer “ordered the destruction of any downloaded information from the payment system by anyone given access to it since January 20, citing ‘the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking.’” Read more via CNN

• In one of the most unusual press conferences from the Oval Office, Elon Musk fielded questions about dodgy DOGE. At the same time, one of his many children pranced around him and had difficulty settling down for the event. Elon’s attempts at humor fell flat, and he seemed unphased by the fact that he had peddled outright lies about USAID’s programs. Read more via NBC

• They are eating the ballets. They are eating the operas. Donald Trump, who has reportedly never attended even one performance at the Kennedy Center, is now the chair of the cultural institution. Until now, the board of the Kennedy Center was bipartisan, and board members served six-year terms. Read more via NPR

• Pam Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General, held her first press conference. During it, she announced that the U.S. Department of Justice will be suing the state of New York on the charge that “the state illegally tipped off undocumented immigrants about federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.” Mayor Eric Adams of NYC was off the hook however; Bondi said the corruption case was closed. Watch via C-SPAN

Week 6: February 2 - 8

• Elon Musk, the South African billionaire not elected by the American people, now has access to a key U.S. Department of Treasury system that handles more than $6 trillion in U.S. government payments. How will this impact tax refunds, federal salaries, Social Security, and Medicare? Those are just four of many critical functions. Read more via The Washington Post

• Elon Musk, the South African billionaire not elected by the American people, has shuttered USAID headquarters and plans to demolish the agency. This has the potential to impact aid funding around the world. Read more via NBC

• Donald Trump has agreed to pause tariffs on Canada and Mexico. In return, the two nations are increasing border security at their U.S. border access points. How long will this friendly-ish period last? TBD. However, the 10% tariff on China will still take effect unless last-minute talks between the two nations yield a different outcome. Read more via the AP

• The Trump administration has hired Darren Beattie to take on the acting Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy role. Beattie was fired from the White House during Trump’s first term because he spoke at a conference attended by white nationalists. The AP said Beattie wrote the following on X: “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities and demoralizing competent white men.” Read more via the AP

• DOGE IS DODGY. A member of DOGE’s juvenile delinquent engineering club resigned today after the Wall Street Journal uncovered his social media posts advocating for racism and eugenics. He had been given access to the payment system at Treasury. Read more via CNBC

Week 5: January 26 - February 1

• RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) was bumpy, to say the least. On top of the intense scrutiny of his lack of experience, there were questions about his character. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, his cousin, wrote an open letter about his fitness (or lack thereof) to lead. The letter includes allegations about disturbing character traits. Read more via CBS

• RFK Jr. is not certain Black people need the same vaccine schedule as other ethnic groups. This is medical misinformation and, to quote Senator Angela Alsobrooks (MD), “dangerous.” Read more via NYT

• To be clear, the S in BRICS does not stand for Spain. It is for South Africa. Knowing intergovernmental bodies seems essential for any U.S. government administration, but Donald Trump’s snafu about BRICS continues to make the rounds. Read more via the AP

• Once again, Greenland has indicated zero desire to become part of the United States. The battle for Greenland appears to be a one-sided struggle that the U.S. will lose. Read more via Bloomberg.

• USAID has been dismantled within mere days of the Trump administration coming to power. They started by freezing foreign assistance and firing employees, destroying America’s legacy of humanitarian assistance around the world. Now, the website redirects to the White House. Read more via PBS

WEEK 4: January 19 - 25

• On January 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day., Donald Trump and JD Vance assumed office. The inauguration was moved indoors because of cold weather. MAGA supporters gathered at the Capitol One Arena twice, once for a rally and then to watch the inauguration. Read more via NBC

• Did Elon Musk make a random, bizarre gesture at the inauguration? Or was it intentional and menacing? Historians like Claire Aubin and Ruth Ben-Ghiat say Elon made a Nazi salute twice. Read more via BBC

• Not everyone is happy about top designers dressing the Trump and Vance families for inauguration events. There’s been pushback against Oscar de la Renta, among others. Read more via the Independent

• Who are the latest Trump nominees and appointees? There’s a tracker for that! You can keep track of those ongoing appointments via the Partnership for Public Service. Looking at Senate-confirmed positions, only Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth have been confirmed. You can watch Rubio’s first speech as Secretary via PBS

• The AP received information that Pete Hegseth told a senator he paid $50,000 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Read more via AP

• The U.S. government is now asking government employees to snitch on their colleagues who may have worked on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives or policies. Read more via Slate

• Vivek Ramaswamy overstayed his welcome before the party even started. He was thrown out of DOGE and is reportedly considering a political run in Ohio. Thoughts and prayers. Read more via Slate

WEEK 3: January 12 - 18

• Think twice, and perhaps thrice, before asking Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) to step outside during a Congressional hearing. You can watch the encounter on CNN and see Rep. Crockett’s response on Instagram.

• Donald Trump and JD Vance unveiled their official portraits. No notes. See more via CNBC

• Who will win the most contentious MAGA feud to date? Steve Bannon or Elon Musk? One has the support of the longstanding MAGA base, and the other has a social network at his fingertips. Read more via Slate

• The city is gearing up for Donald Trump’s inauguration weekend festivities, but frigid temperatures have forced changes to the schedule and location. There will be less pomp due to this circumstance, and it is unclear how many supporters will be able to attend. Read more via NYT

• From real estate to sneakers, there are some concerns that Donald Trump has conflicts of interest that could pose a serious threat to his presidency. Weren’t there alleged conflicts of interest last time, too? What, if anything, has changed? Read more via NYT

• Pete Hegseth might be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, yet it remains unknown if he knows which countries are part of ASEAN (a critical contingent of nations in Southeast Asia and a key part of U.S.-China foreign policy). Read more via Rolling Stone

• Former First Lady Michelle Obama confirmed she will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration. It is worth noting that Donald Trump did not participate in President Biden’s inauguration. Who else plans to be anywhere but Washington D.C. this weekend? Read more via The Washington Post

WEEK 2: January 5 - 11

• On January 6, with dignity and grace, Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the peaceful transfer of power, certifying that Donald Trump and JD Vance will assume their elected roles on January 20, 2025. Unlike in 2021, hoards of rioters displeased with the outcome of the election did not descend upon Washington, D.C., to attempt a violent coup. Read More via NBC

• The MAGA political movement continues to fracture on core policy issues, with tech billionaires on one side of the heated immigration debate and longtime MAGA loyalists on the other. Some H-1B visa holders are weighing in on the conversation, giving their much-needed perspective. Read More via NBC

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) worries about healthcare and medical costs. In a new interview, she talks about the upcoming Trump administration’s direction, the impact of chronic conditions, and aging in Alaska. Read more via Alaska Beacon.

• Remember Republicans’ “Freedom Fries” era? Well, there’s a new country to discuss. Donald Trump says he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Read more via the AP

• Following his father’s announcement about acquiring Greenland (a move not supported by Danish or Greenlandic residents or officials), Donald Trump Jr. arrived in Greenland as “a tourist.” Read more via The Washington Post

WEEK 1: January 1 - 4

• The January 4th Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House was filled with icons and stars. President Biden honored 18 people, including José Andrés, Denzel Washington, and Anna Wintour, with one of the nation’s highest awards. Read More via The New York Times.