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Hi friends!
There’s something a little hilarious about Dave going on an international vacation this week of all weeks. Not hilarious because he doesn’t deserve it (he does!) but because the guy who explains politics for a living is returning to maybe the biggest election news cycle since last November.
As Dave promised on his YouTube channel, he’ll be back next week with up-to-date coverage of this week’s elections. But to tide you over in the meantime, Democrats won big in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, a ballot measure on redistricting in California, and the New York City mayoral race (although some Democratic party leaders haven’t fully embraced Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist mayor-elect).
While you wait for more videos from Dave unpacking these election results, he’s brought you something else this week: a series of evergreen videos on topics ranging from White House renovations to social media crackdowns to civic explainers. Hopefully it’s welcome counter-programing to all the election news I’m sure you’ve been getting.
Before we dive in, Micah has inserted this very important paragraph announcing our next Local News International town hall on Wednesday, December 3 at 8 p.m. ET. If you’re already a LOCAL or INTERNATIONAL member you can register below. If you’re not, upgrade now to join us!
And now with that, let’s dive in.
Extreme Makeover: White House Edition
President Donald Trump is spending millions of dollars from private donors to build an arch across from the Lincoln Memorial, replace the grass in the White House Rose Garden with stone (who doesn’t love touching stone?) and construct a ballroom. (Trump’s partially funding that ballroom himself.)
Most of the ballroom donors have billions of dollars in government contracts. The CEO of the government watchdog that uncovered this accused the donors of trying to get favorable treatment from the Trump administration, since many of them have faced federal enforcement actions related to alleged wrongdoing.
In other words, it may be about more than just a ballroom — it could be about companies trying to get away with unfair labor practices, hurting the environment, tricking consumers and more.
But it’s not all private donors! Trump also asked Congress to spend $2 billion on renovating Washington, D.C. streets. Critics have pointed out that Trump and his rich friends are throwing around millions of dollars on renovations like these while many Americans face steep cuts to food stamp benefits.
Trump administration revokes visas over comments about Charlie Kirk
The Department of Homeland Security has been monitoring visa holders’ social media activity more broadly, including as part of a crackdown on criticism of Israel. ICE is even using AI to surveil people’s social media.
The crackdown on speech around Kirk’s death extends beyond these six visaholders, and even beyond the federal government. The New York Times identified 145 people who were fired or disciplined over their comments about Kirk.
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Explaining the government’s borrowing habits
Congress is required by law to spend money on certain things, like Social Security, Medicare and interest on the national debt. That’s called mandatory spending, and it costs more than the federal government’s entire revenue.
Congress also spends money on things it’s not required to fund, but that we’d miss if we didn’t have them. Think education and transportation. That’s called discretionary spending.
And when the federal government spends money that it’s not making through revenue — which, again, it has to do even to cover mandatory spending — it has to borrow money. That means that the federal government relies hard on borrowed money, both for some mandatory spending and all discretionary spending.
This video is part of Dave’s partnership with Free the Facts, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that empowers young Americans to learn and lead.
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Each week, after running through the news Dave has covered in the last week, I turn things over to him for some analysis. But Dave’s not here! So instead, I’m turning things over to Lauren Saks, LNI co-founder and my other boss. I worked for Lauren back when I was at The Washington Post, too, and I think she’s pretty neat. I’m sure you will too!
So happy to be back with Chris after many moons apart. Have y’all seen one of my favorite Chris videos of all time? Still relevant! And yes, Dave is still on vacation, so here I am once again. He’ll be back next week. Promise.
On Wednesday we published part 2 of our partnership with Harry’s. The 5-part series is called Will Dave Shave?, and I won’t spoil it, but I would like to talk about some of the super nice audience response we have had and why I think this partnership and the content we have made is neat, modern, and impactful.
I’ve noticed over the last several years, as my viewing habits have moved away from linear consumption to entirely social and streaming, that I’m not familiar with some traditional ads. My dad and I used to talk on the phone several times a week about funny tv ads…and one day…I just wasn’t seeing the same ads he was because I had cut the cord. And if you are reading this you are online enough like me to know that the way brands are reaching digital audiences isn’t sometimes… it.
Last week, The New York Times had an article about how brands are putting their employees on their social channels. It seems to be resonating broadly with brands like Delta and UPS, but it’s also the kind of work Dave and I were doing in our early days on TikTok at The Post.
We just wanted to show off our friends and the newsroom and explain how the news got made…and folks liked it! So when Harry’s wanted to show off their delightful and funny team, we felt like we could make something that showed the best of what we do and what they do. And a bunch of people agree! Look at these comments from this week’s video!
Why is this kind of “ad” seeming to resonate? Well I think it is because the style is very much what Dave’s audience is used to and loves about him, plus we are aiming to bring in the Harry’s team as part of the fun. We are showing them and their office off as it is, in a style that is ours. So our fans are reacting in the same way that they react to our news videos. Feels very modern to me.
And now…MOAR Chris!
Thanks, Lauren! Back to me!
At the end of each newsletter, I give you two rewards for making it to the end. The first is a pet picture. This week’s features two little darlings, one of whom has been featured before. We’re in need of new pet pictures! Send them in to [email protected] if you’re so inclined.
🥲
Your second reward is the reveal for this week’s link scavenger hunt, in which I hide a non-news related link for you to find in the body of this email. Didn’t participate this week? Scroll back up and try to find it before the next sentence paragraph! Hurry!
If you did participate, you probably found a link to the ballroom scene from ‘The Shining’. I watched it for the first time over Halloweekend and it took me 24 whole hours before I had my first nightmare about it! Please clap!
Until next week,
Chris
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Since you made it to the end, you obviously love the newsletter. Help support my independent journalism by becoming a paying member. Here’s what you get:
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