TRUMP SAYS STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL BE A US TERRITORY
During a rally in New York, President Trump made two eyebrow raising statements about the Strait of Hormuz and the high gas prices we’re all paying. Trump says he is going to declare the Strait a US Territory and he said he “won’t apologize” for the $4/gallon+ gas. This video explains the statements, what they mean and what they could mean for the midterm elections.
Watch Trump’s full speech here.
TRUMP FILES EMERGENCY APPEAL TO SCOTUS ABOUT HIS BALLROOM
The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court today asking the justices to IMMEDIATELY pause a lower court ruling so that the construction on the White House ballroom can continue. The Trump administration is making a brand new and surprising argument to the justices to justify why this construction should continue. This video explains that new argument and shows you all the new renderings of the ballroom and the photos of the construction included in today’s appeal.
Read the Trump administration SCOTUS appeal here.
See the massive SCOTUS appendix here.
MORE FALLOUT FROM USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN CONDITIONS
I have been reporting all week about the concerning conditions being reported by military family members about their loved ones onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The huge ship and its 5,000 sailors and Marines has been deployed for nine months. Their deployment began on November 21, 2025 and their orders have been extended multiple times to support President Trump’s war with Iran. During this deployment the Lincoln set a new record for time at sea without a port call. The sailors and Marines spent 241 consecutive days at sea.
When asked by reporters today about the concerns of the military families that their loved ones have been deployed too long, Trump was visibly irritated and said “No, no, no. Not nearly long enough.” He then abruptly ended the question and answer session and boarded Air Force One.
The prolonged deployment has obviously taken a toll on those men and women who have been at sea for so long. According to several family members who spoke to the Military Times, the mental health of multiple service members has gotten so bad that they have attempted to jump overboard. Separately, other family members have described food and personal hygiene product shortages which have also contributed to the issue.
As I reported last night, the USS George Washington is now on its way to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln.
MANGIONE PLEADS GUILTY
Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty in federal court today to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of 2024. In a surprising move, Mangione address the judge saying, “I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan.” He went on to say, “I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or bodily injury. I knew what I was doing was illegal.” Mangione was facing a stalking charge in the federal case but he’s facing a murder charge in the state case. Today he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison, and one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. That charge also carries a maximum of life.
Mangione also described in court how he found Thompson on the streets of New York. He said he contacted UnitedHealthcare, posed as a major investor and was given the location of the conference that Thompson was attending. The 28-year-old also attempted to justify his actions by telling the court that he had suffered with severe pain from a broken back and blamed the prolonged pain on the health insurance company because of the complications of navigating the health insurance industry.
As I reported in last night’s FactsHQ email, this plea was a strategic move by his defense team. Immediately after today’s federal hearing, his lawyers filed a motion in state court attempting to have his state charges thrown out citing New York’s double jeopardy laws. After the hearing, Mangione’s lawyers addressed the media saying that their client had been treated unfairly by the judicial system and by federal and local law enforcement and that should be taken into account by the judge.
For the first time, the family of Brian Thompson spoke publicly about what they have endured. The family was in the courtroom today and afterward released a statement that said, “Today’s guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family.” They continued, “While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable.”
The federal judge accepted Mangione’s plea today and said that he should expect to serve at least 85% of whatever sentence she gives him. He will be sentenced in December.
LALA WILL LIKELY MAKE LANDFALL IN HAWAII TOMORROW
All eyes are on Hawaii as Tropical Storm Lala approaches. The National Hurricane Center is warning that Lala could become a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island tomorrow. Hurricanes rarely hit the Pacific but a hurricane warning has been issued for the Big Island. A tropical storm warning was issued for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. Tropical storm warnings have also been issued for Oahu and Kauai County, including the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Hawaii’s largest power company warned utility customers across the state on Friday to prepare for power outages that could last for days.
Read more from the National Hurricane Center here.
DUCK HUNT RISES FROM THE ASHES
For all of my fellow GenXers, you’re going to love this one. If you were around when the very first Nintendo console was released in 1988 you will remember the epic game Duck Hunt. Remember, the cartridge included both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt? And the console came with that little plastic gun?
A Wisconsin shop owner discovered he had a box of Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges that had been brought into his store six years ago. He didn’t realize that included in the box were 97 cartridges of brand-new plastic-wrapped copies of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt. Not only were they brand new, it turned out the games from 1993 were also ultra rare because they were a variant version of the game that was previously unknown to the gaming community. When the games were taken to a grading company it was discovered that five of the cartridges were rated PSA 10. That’s not only the highest grade, but also the very first NES cartridges to ever receive a perfect score. The rest were rated 9.8, 9.6 and 9.4
Duck Hunt was discontinued in 1991.
Well, today those 97 cartridges are up for auction. I linked the auction below.
Check out the auction here.
NOTE: Unfortunately, I can not answer any questions about the news via email. If you are a subscriber of FactsHQ, you can submit your question through the Substack chat feature and I can do my best to respond that way.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.