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The Trump administration announced Wednesday that a group of far-right media outlets have been given press access to the Pentagon.  The announcement comes a week after actual journalists staged a walkout and refused to sign on to new rules that require all reporting to be pre-approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Even Fox News stood against the new rules. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X. “Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.” Among the Pentagon’s new pool of outlets is Timcast, conspiratorial racist Tim Pool’s podcast, on which he has claimed that “multiculturalism” is behind mass shootings and that women should face public shame for how many sexual partners they’ve had.  Pool has been given Pentagon access even though—or perhaps because—he was among a group of right-wing influencers paid by the Russian government to spread disinformation. He received payments from the Russian Tenet Media to make politically divisive videos to weaken the U.S. government and its opposition to Russia. Russia likely had no idea that, with Donald Trump becoming president, one of its paid stooges would be given a front-row seat to the inner workings of the U.S. military. Similarly, MyPillow founder and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell’s outlet, LindellTV, will now regurgitate Hegseth’s nonsense to the public. Lindell was among the Trump sycophants who have falsely insisted that Trump won the 2020 election. MyPillow founder and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell Gateway Pundit, the conservative blog founded and operated by Jim Hoft, also received Pentagon credentials. Hoft, once described by the media watchdog group Media Matters for America as the “dumbest man on the internet,” has spent decades promoting debunked right-wing conspiracy theories and other falsehoods. More recently, Gateway Pundit paid out a settlement in a 2024 defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers after it falsely accused them of rigging the 2020 election results.  Pentagon reporting is of dire importance at the moment. The Trump administration is engaged in warfare in South America, which some experts say is illegal. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ignored Trump’s halfhearted attempt to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, which has most recently included the bombing of a kindergarten with children present. And in the Middle East, Israel’s conflict with Hamas has continued despite Trump’s claims that he secured a “peace deal.” The Pentagon’s new right-wing press corps is beyond ill-equipped to handle independent reporting. But when it comes to producing stories that get Hegseth’s approval, it’ll pass with flying colors.

A cartoon by Jack Ohman. Related | Trump tries to cover up White House demolition

Turns out, it’s not just “patriot donors” funding the new White House ballroom—tech giant Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, is chipping in, too.  CNBC reports that the company is contributing $22 million to the $250 million project, with the money routed through a legal settlement reached last month over Trump’s YouTube ban following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The Google-owned platform froze Trump’s account in the riot’s aftermath, warning his posts could spark further violence. Trump later sued, claiming censorship and wrongful suspension.  “Just a little remodeling” by Mike Luckovich Under the Oakland, California, federal court settlement, nearly 10% of the ballroom’s estimated construction costs will now come from Alphabet. CNBC reports the money will be donated on Trump’s behalf “to the Trust for the National Mall, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity dedicated to restoring, preserving, and elevating the National Mall, to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom.” Images of cranes tearing into the East Wing to make way for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom sparked public backlash this week and raised fresh questions about who is footing the bill. Trump has repeatedly insisted the project is privately funded and will cost taxpayers nothing. “For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway—with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!” Trump wrote on Monday on Truth Social. Trump has pledged some of his own money to the project, and other donors include Lockheed Martin, reportedly contributing more than $10 million. Tech companies are also pitching in: Beyond the settlement contribution, Google is committing at least $5 million.  Related | Fox News: Trump’s White House demolition is fine because Obama Comcast—parent company of CNBC—is also listed as a donor, though the amount is unknown. The company will spin off CNBC later this year under a new parent, Versant. The project has drawn scrutiny from Treasury Department employees, whose offices overlook the demolition site. The department has barred staff from sharing images of the work, citing security concerns, though critics argue transparency is vital for public oversight.  The East Wing’s demolition, including the removal of historic elements like trees and architectural details, has fueled complaints that the project is far more than a simple upgrade—it represents a substantial transformation of one of the nation’s most symbolic spaces. Preservationists are weighing in as well. On Tuesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter urging a pause on demolition until proper public review processes are completed. Carol Quillen, National Trust’s president and CEO, stressed that while a larger meeting space may be useful, the scale and height of the proposed ballroom could “overwhelm the White House itself” and disrupt its classical design. She called for consultations with the relevant review agencies and public input to ensure the project respects the historic significance of the building and its grounds.  “The National Trust stands ready to assist the White House, the National Park Service, and relevant review agencies in exploring design alternatives and modifications that would accomplish the objectives of the Administration while preserving the historic integrity and symbolism of the People’s House,” Quillen added. Trump has insisted the ballroom “won’t interfere with the current building.” “It’ll be near it but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of,” he said in July.  But that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. The New York Times reported Wednesday that the White House has decided it would be “cheaper and more structurally sound to demolish the East Wing” rather than build an addition. The full demolition is expected to be finished by this weekend. The White House has also dismissed criticism, comparing the project to minor modifications under former President Barack Obama, such as adding basketball lines and baskets to the tennis courts. But those changes were far less disruptive than dismantling the East Wing. With Alphabet, Lockheed Martin, and other major donors helping foot the bill, Trump is moving full steam ahead on a ballroom he says will be “happily used for generations to come,” promising a mix of private financing and personal investment.  The project underscores Trump’s ongoing fascination with leaving a permanent mark on the White House, turning construction into both a legacy project and a showcase for corporate support.

Supplemental Nutritional Assistant Program benefits are set to run out at the end of the month as the GOP-led government shutdown continues, and states are scrambling to help their most vulnerable. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he would be deploying the National Guard to assist food banks across the state as the need for assistance grows.  California Gov. Gavin Newsom “Trump’s failure isn’t abstract—it’s literally taking food out of people’s mouths. This is serious, this is urgent—and requires immediate action,” he said in a press release, adding that he’s also fast-tracking nearly $80 million in state-support in lieu of the SNAP funding. “Millions of Americans rely on food benefits to feed their families, and while Republicans in Washington drag their feet, California is stepping up once again to fill in the gaps.” On the ground, the fear of food security for citizens, including military and federal workers, is growing among those who work at local food banks. Yuba-Sutter Food Bank in Northern California made an “urgent call” for help Tuesday asking people in their community to donate or volunteer.  Speaking to Daily Kos, Yuba-Sutter Food Bank Executive Director Maria Ball told us that they are “ramping up” their stock in anticipation of what’s to come, but also to meet the growing need they’re already experiencing. “Everybody’s already feeling the crunch,” she told us, explaining that they assist a nearby Air Force base in addition to community needs.  Yuba-Sutter typically delivers enough food to the Air Force base to feed 300 families. However, undisclosed Air Force officials at the base expressed to the food bank that they would need more help this time around. Now, Yuba-Sutter Food Bank is sending enough food to feed 400 families.  But as Newsom is doling out support for his constituents, food banks in other states are also not getting any statewide assistance just yet.  In Texas, Galveston County Food Bank is a vital resource to senior citizens and federal workers in their community.  “We’ve been in contact with the Coast Guard and NASA in the event that [food security] becomes an issue,” President & CEO Donnie VanAckeren told Daily Kos. “They want reassurance that they’re eligible to come and use our facilities.”  But, like most food banks, VanAckeren said that the need for community assistance is already strong. “The food doesn’t sit around long,” he explained. “It comes in and it goes right out. So the need is great.” The USDA issued a letter to state agencies on Oct. 10 saying that they would not have the funding means to distribute SNAP benefits across the nation come November if the shutdown continues. And furloughed federal workers have already been lining up at food banks asking for a helping hand. Related | ‘It’s a flat-out lie!’ Elizabeth Warren exposes GOP’s shutdown bullsh-t This potential lapse in benefits is one clearly identifiable pain from the nearly monthlong government shutdown. While families fear not being able to feed their children, the GOP—who controls all three branches of government—has been blaming the shutdown on Democrats for their insistence on extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.  And though rising costs of health care is a concern even for MAGA Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, it seems like the right isn’t ready to budge—even if it means not feeding their most vulnerable.

Democratic Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts slammed the Republican Party during a Wednesday press conference, outlining how the GOP has been repeatedly stonewalling efforts to fund the government, resulting in the shutdown. “Their choice was to cancel even coming to Congress leading up to the date of the shutdown,” Clark said. “They have chosen this shutdown, and they continue to make it punitive to federal workers in a way that I’ve never seen any administration do—that they are choosing who they like, who they don’t.” x x YouTube Video When asked about Republicans—who have a government trifecta and can end the shutdown at any time—falsely blaming Democrats for the consequences of their failed policies and the shutdown, Clark did not hold back, calling the GOP’s actions “outrageous.” “They have been attacking federal workers. Their goal was to inflict trauma,” she said.