Welcome to the January 16th New Newsletter!
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like, please buy Jalon some coffee. She can’t do these newsletters without it! (Seriously).
Our Main Story: Break The Ice
It’s Time to Dismantle the Department of Homeland Security
ICE Has Become a Rogue Paramilitary
Map of ICE Shootings Since Donald Trump Returned to Office
‘Animal control officers’ get more training than new ICE agents, former DHS official claims
Push for greater ICE training grows on some Republicans
What to Do if ICE Invades Your Neighborhood
Newly Released Records Detail Chaos During Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
Couple Says ICE Agents Gassed Them as They Drove With 6 Children
FBI Agent’s Sworn Testimony Contradicts Claims ICE’s Jonathan Ross Made Under Oath
Why ICE Can Kill With Impunity
US Citizen Dragged from Car By ICE in Minneapolis Speaks Out
Why Stop at ICE? Let’s Dismantle the Entire Department of Homeland Security.
We Don’t Want Greenland
Trump Is Risking a Global Catastrophe
The Oligarchs Pushing for Conquest in Greenland
European troops in Greenland won’t change Trump’s mind, White House says
Thomas Massie’s Joke About Epstein Files in Greenland Takes Off Online
Where Art Thou Epstein Files
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, who is charged with sex trafficking, has dementia, lawyers say (oh wow. him too?)
This Week’s Links: Participation Trophies
WATCH: Machado tells reporters why she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump
Coast Guard late on last 3 years of sexual assault reports to Congress, pledges to catch up
A Tipping Point in Online Child Abuse
Congress clears first funding bills since government shutdown ended
Woman jailed after crashing her vehicle into a South Florida federal courthouse, police say
In New York City, 15,000 Nurses Are Still on Strike
US seizes sixth sanctioned tanker it says has ties to Venezuela
What the collapse of Iran’s regime would mean
Trump announces outlines of health care plan he wants Congress to consider (Still just concepts of a plan…smh)
New Chinese embassy to have ‘secret basement’ near highly sensitive cables
White House slashes, then restores, funding to treat mental health and addiction
Explosion damages homes and injures at least 4 in the Netherlands
Netanyahu ‘persuaded Trump’ to call off air strikes on Iran with last ditch phone call
Trump says he’s ‘inclined’ to keep ExxonMobil out of Venezuela after CEO’s remarks
Trump’s D.O.J. Went After the Fed. It Backfired.
Pentagon says it will ‘refocus’ Stars and Stripes content
Black midwife’s death highlights racial gap in maternal mortality
Trump Administration Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data Is Dismissed (stares at up for election Greg Abbott)
‘Star Wars’ Boss Departs, Ending an Asteroid-Filled Reign
L.A. Production Shows No Sign of a Rebound Yet
Scott Adams showed the world how laughable office life could be
This Is Texas News
Texas Turns Its Sprawling State Police Force Into Immigration Agents for Trump
Greg Abbott enters 2026 Texas governor’s race with staggering $106 million on hand (so he’s just rolling in money)1
ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court
Texas House Democrats raised record-breaking $2.2 million in 2025
City of Houston moves forward with housing complex near toxic ash site
Blindspot Stories
Trump Suggests U.S. ‘Shouldn’t Even Have’ November Midterms
‘Look, You Can’t Cancel the Election’
Some young MAGA men are taking drugs and altering their bodies to look like Newsom and not JD Vance2
The Hard Truth of Weight-Loss Drugs: You Probably Need Them Forever
Nazi-esque slogans on official government communications? Yes, that’s where we’re at
Under Reported Stories
FBI agents search home of Washington Post reporter
Ex-Navy SEAL convicted for plot to kill officers at California protest
Millennials spend more time than past generations with their children
Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema Accused of Affair With Member of Security Team
Timothy Busfield faces new sex abuse accusation as he appears in court
Verizon Outage Knocks Out US Mobile Service, Including Some 911 Calls
Democratic Wake Up Call
Democrats Will Lose in 2028 Unless They Change Course Now
Both of these are true. 👇🏽
America at 250
‘To Begin the World Over Again’
A yearlong birthday party. Inside America’s 250th anniversary plans
Smithsonian pressured to show Trump its plans for exhibits for America’s 250th birthday
AI News
Google Starts Scanning Your Photos For People And Places—Decision Time
Canada’s privacy watchdog investigating Musk’s xAI over sexualized deepfakes
Google Is Adding an ‘AI Inbox’ to Gmail That Summarizes Emails
I Know Ball News
15 former college basketball players among 20 charged in point-shaving scheme
‘Heated Rivalry’ has a fan in NHL commissioner Gary Bettman: ‘I binged it in one night’ (No one tell him “he’s” the villain in the whole book series)3
Your Moments of Zen
That’s it for this week! Like, share, and subscribe if you haven’t yet. We are quite literally all in this together. xo, Jalon
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Other GPL Goodies
Get Pod Local: The Podcast (Season 2!) with Joey and Jalon
Joey and Jalon sit down with Politicians, Community Leaders, and movers and shakers making a difference. And almost every episode, the Dallas Mayor catches a stray. He deserves it. It’s fine. Episodes drop every Thursday…maybe…
GPL Presents: New Newsletter with Jalon Nichols
Every week, Jalon catches you up on what is going on out here, who is doing it, how does that impact your everyday life, and what everyone is saying about. We are based in Texas, so we have a lot of Texas news, but we cover the whole wide world. There is a LOT of stuff going on everyday, and no one can keep up with it all, but we attempt to….for you. (Clap for us).
GPL Presents: Organizers Corner w/ Joey Cade
Every Sunday night, Joey Cade, our Resident Precinct Chair, lays out our Call To Actions for the week. Because knowing what’s going on is one thing. But doing something about it is another. Let’s do both!
GPL Presents: Water Cooler with Jalon and Joey
Every morning, Jalon D’na and Joey Cade check in and talk about something we read or saw on slack. Videos drop every Thursday!
GPL Presents: Daily Briefs with Jalon Nichols
Everyday, Jalon reads you the headlines of the day — just to keep you in the know. Think NPR at the top of each hour, with a lot of shade some jokes.
All puns here are intended
What the hell is going on?!
Not him per se…but A Commissioner…
1. I made it to the bottom finally! With my phone dead I've spent less time on my little screen reading. Oh and I'm actually not 100% finished; gonna read the Plouffe NYT piece in the AM.
2. The NL explosion was in my new fave city Utrecht. I want to move to Utrecht, Rotterdam, or Delft.
3. OMG I had totally missed the vegan techy cult leader story. Thnx for that bananas story.
4. I had listened to the Joy show with Stacey on it. It's SO GOOD. Should def be required viewing for all.
5. I love that even the NHL Comish is bingeing Heated Rivalry!
6. The AI takeover of media really hit me in the face this week when the AI show about our zoom dropped - wtf
Thank you! This is another epic newsletter cover the fall of an empire. You are slaying this and keeping me informed!! xo