Amendment capping the Supreme Court dies in the House
Democrats blocked a proposed constitutional amendment yesterday that would have fixed the maximum number of Supreme Court justices at the current nine. While the majority of representatives voted for it, it did not receive the necessary two-thirds majority to advance out of the House. Republicans noted that the integrity of the Supreme Court should not be altered when a new party takes power, while Democrats complained that keeping the number of seats at nine would ensure the GOP’s dominance in the courts. Unfortunately, this will keep the prospect of leftist court packing on the table, given the high chance of a Democrat win in November. The long-term understanding that some in Congress have failed to grasp may leave one of our most important institutions vulnerable.
Birth tourism and judicial activism
District Judge Deborah Boardman on Wednesday halted the Trump administration’s attempt to prevent enemies of the U.S. from giving birth to American citizens following the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision on birthright citizenship. Boardman did not address the specific alien enemies targeted under President Donald Trump’s “Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship” executive order and instead cited the Trump v. Barbara case as grounds for the halt. Another Trump EO to end birth tourism was not addressed by Boardman, although the owner of Have My Baby in Miami, an organization advertising birthright citizenship to noncitizens, was hauled before Congress on Monday, where he steadfastly pleaded the Fifth Amendment. Interestingly, the owner, Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, was wearing his U.S. flag pin upside down, a naval signal of distress. Birth tourism is indeed distressing.
White House gets security buff
The Trump administration is publicly presenting new security plans for the White House and the surrounding grounds. The revisions will add a visitor center and permanent fencing around Lafayette Square, a park across the street from the White House. The National Capital Planning Commission will consider the proposals today. The Secret Service also wants more fences near Pennsylvania Avenue and considers the current security measures unsightly and insufficient. President Trump has followed their recommendations in the past, keeping Lafayette Square and much of the larger President’s Park closed even after renovations were completed. Several Democrats and a White House historian protested against Trump, warning that the People’s House shouldn’t block public access. Other presidents, however, have made similar security changes. Bill Clinton, for example, changed Pennsylvania Avenue from vehicle to pedestrian traffic.
89% of Americans see widespread corruption in government
A Gallup poll published on Wednesday found that Americans believe corruption in government is widespread, hitting a record 20-year high. Some 89% of Americans view the government as widely corrupt, and the increase in this view is largely among Democrats. From 2010 to 2025, the public’s perception of government corruption ranged from 72% to 79%. However, from the beginning of President Trump’s second term, Democrats’ views of government corruption jumped 19 percentage points — from 57% during the last year of the Biden administration to 76%. This year, Democrats’ perception of government corruption has risen to 91%. Meanwhile, among Republicans, views of widespread government corruption have dropped slightly from 87% during Joe Biden’s last year to 83% today. Roughly 90% of both Democrats and Republicans see corruption as a major problem within every government institution.
DOJ lawsuit against California transgender law dismissed
A Department of Justice lawsuit challenging a California law allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports has been dropped by a federal judge. Judge Cynthia Valenzuela dismissed the case due to the federal government's lack of prior notice before threatening to pull its education funding. The DOJ released a statement saying, "We are disappointed by the Court’s order and remain committed to enforcing President Trump’s agenda of preventing boys from playing in girls’ sports.” This will count as a loss for proponents of women’s sports and fundamentally defies Title IX, a federal law that, by definition, deems this practice illegal. There have been multiple cases of biological males in California robbing their female competition of varsity spots, recruiting exposure, and state championships. It will likely remain this way until federal intervention ends it.
Dad of maimed girl rips illegal immigration
Marcus Coleman appeared on Capitol Hill Tuesday to testify to the effect illegal immigrant truck drivers have had on his family. In 2024, his daughter, now seven years old, was riding in a car when an illegal immigrant from India, Partap Singh, smashed his 18-wheeler into her vehicle. Dalilah Coleman suffered a fractured skull, a broken femur, and a traumatic brain injury that has left her permanently disabled. "I reject your guys’ sympathy," Marcus told Democrat lawmakers. "This is when you guys care. Right here inside this room is the only time you guys care." He went further and blasted Democrat support for illegal immigration: "My wife, an immigrant — she did what she's supposed to do." His daughter "didn't ask for any of this," Coleman added. "The people that jumped the fence did, though. They knew exactly what they were doing."
ICE arresting more illegals, facing more violence
In August, ICE arrested 50,925 illegals, breaking its record for the third straight month. ICE now has more personnel working more days a week. Agents arrested criminals convicted of DUI manslaughter, sexual assault, and drug distribution. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reminded illegal immigrants that the government offers $3,000 to those who self-deport. Meanwhile, the backlash against ICE continues. On Tuesday, an Oregon teenager was sentenced to three years' probation and 75 days in jail after pleading guilty to plotting to kill ICE agents. Prosecutors let him off easy, dismissing several charges, including first-degree attempted domestic terrorism and possession of destructive devices. He tried to recruit acquaintances into an anti-ICE movement. Authorities then arrested him after receiving reports of his plans to behead agents and attack the Portland ICE office with Molotov cocktails.
Migrant population cut by three million under Trump administration
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, not only has illegal immigration declined by 2.3 million since President Trump took office, but legal immigration has also declined by 600,000 since January 2025. CIS's research director noted that this is the first time since the 1930s that the U.S. has seen a sustained net decrease in migration, and said the decline is directly attributable to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The total foreign-born population fell from 53.3 million to 50.5 million during the first 18 months of Trump’s presidency, and relatively few of those who have left were workforce participants. The Department of Homeland Security’s deportation numbers are higher than CIS's due to different methodologies. DHS is only measuring departures, while CIS is looking at net increases and decreases by offsetting outgoers with new arrivals.
Leading feminist activist Gloria Steinem dead at 92
Gloria Steinem, a fierce feminist advocate and author, died Wednesday in her home in New York City at the age of 92. She spent most of her life on the road speaking at rallies and on college campuses, but she was also the cofounder of Ms. Magazine. Her career began as a journalist, with notable work in 1963 exposing the degrading conditions in Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire, an undercover assignment she later regretted. Following her own illegal abortion at the age of 22, she became an activist, speaking out in favor of abortion and women’s equality. After the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Steinem wrote, “Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we’re not living in a democracy.” Steinem did more than most to bring about the radicalism of today's feminist movement.
Headlines
- Jeffries won't rule out kicking off committees centrist Democrats who backed condemning socialism (Washington Examiner)
- In historic shift, DOJ rules all states with federal welfare programs must report illegal immigrants (Just the News)
- Come meet the Minneapolis mass shooting suspect, who had a history of violence and drug use (Not the Bee)
- Massachusetts woman arrested outside Lindsay Clancy trial for allegedly filming jurors (NY Post)
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, Hudson Baldwin, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.
