Good evening, Friends!
I do not know about you, but at my house, the rain just will not stop. It feels like it has been pouring non-stop for the past couple of weeks, creating a gray, relentless backdrop to an already heavy news cycle. When the weather is this gloomy, I try to find small comforts to keep the morale up, and lately, that has meant spending more time in the kitchen. 
I have been working on perfecting my congee recipe, which is honestly the perfect antidote to this weather. For those who haven't tried it, congee is a savory rice porridge that acts as a blank canvas for bold flavors. I cook my rice down with mushrooms, chicken, and plenty of fresh garlic and ginger until it breaks down into a warm, creamy comfort food that warms you from the inside out. The picture today is of five bowls of congee that I have managed to snap a photo of before devouring. This is my absolute favorite meal.
The real secret, though, is in the toppings. Once the porridge is done, I load it up with everything I can find: chili paste, chili oil, and Sriracha for some serious heat, followed by green onions, cilantro, Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, little donuts, and bok choy for crunch and texture. I finish it off with a poached egg, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. It is a simple joy, but sometimes a good bowl of food is the only thing that makes sense when the world outside is chaotic. Speaking of chaos, let’s get to the news.
The administration has formally declared war on the military's most decorated members. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth censured Senator Mark Kelly today, stripping him of his rank and pension. His alleged crime was instructing troops to prioritize their Constitutional oath over political loyalty.
After less than a year as Deputy Director, Dan Bongino abruptly resigned today. While his exit statement praised President Trump and Director Kash Patel, the timing (less than 24 hours after the Venezuela raid) suggests he is fleeing a sinking ship before the legal fallout begins.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned from Congress with a blistering attack on the President. She exposed the hypocrisy of the Venezuela raid, asking why Trump is hunting "narco-terrorists" abroad while pardoning convicted drug traffickers like Juan Orlando Hernández at home.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he will not seek reelection. In a somber statement, he cited the toxic political environment and the impossibility of governing effectively while under constant siege from the federal administration.
In a bright spot of news, Mary Sheffield shattered a 324 year glass ceiling today, being sworn in as the first female Mayor of Detroit. Her inauguration marks a generational shift for the Motor City, moving from a legacy of male dominance to a new era of leadership focused on neighborhood level survival.
President Trump took to Truth Social to reshape the narrative around the Venezuela raid. He amplified support from Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz to project a facade of bipartisan unity and framed his invasion as a "rectification" of Obama's past failures in Iran, effectively rewriting history to justify his aggression.
President Trump officially declared the death of the Monroe Doctrine, replacing it with the "Donroe Doctrine." The rebranding is not just a joke; it is a trademarking of imperialism, asserting total U.S. ownership over the Western Hemisphere and the right to remove any leader who refuses to kiss the ring.
In a dawn raid that shattered international law, U.S. forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from Caracas. The administration is framing it as a "large scale strike" against narco-terrorism, but critics are calling it a return to the wildest days of Gunboat Diplomacy.
We now know why the U.S. is not installing the elected opposition leader, María Corina Machado. Reports confirm that Trump views her acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize as the "ultimate sin" because she did not demand the committee give it to him instead. It may even be one of the reasons he invaded.
Because of the Nobel feud, the U.S. has cut a deal with the old regime. Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former VP, has been installed as Interim President. We effectively traded a dictator we hated for a dictator who promised to be "conciliatory" and keep the oil flowing.
Nicolás Maduro appeared in a Manhattan courtroom today to face charges. The administration is preparing for a made for TV spectacle, but legal experts warn that trying a foreign head of state will trigger a prolonged nightmare over sovereign immunity and international precedent.
The global partition map expanded to the Arctic today. President Trump declared that the U.S. "absolutely" needs Greenland for defense, threatening to "act" soon. The move terrified Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and signaled that even NATO allies are not safe from the new "Warlord Era" land grabs.
I know this is a heavy list to digest. It is normal to feel angry or afraid when you see the institutions we trusted crumbling this fast. But remember that awareness is the first step to resistance. They want you to look away; refusing to do so is an act of courage.
Please take care of yourselves today. Step away from the screens, hug your kids, or just take a walk. We are in a marathon, not a sprint, and we need you healthy and focused for the days ahead. Do not let them steal your peace while they are trying to steal the country.
Thank you for trusting me to be your guide through this. I will keep watching, keep writing, and keep fighting to get the truth out, no matter how many times they try to silence us. We are in this together.
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