đ Programming note: A quick update on what to expect from WTFJHT as we head into the holidays... Iâll be publishing Monday, Dec. 29 and Tuesday, Dec. 30, before returning to my regular MondayâThursday schedule on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. As always, if something truly WTF-y happens, Iâll be here. Otherwise, this is a short pause to recharge and spend some time with family. Thanks for reading, sharing, and supporting this project. It means a lot and Iâm glad youâre here. -MATT
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A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
Day 236: Clandestine efforts.
1/ Earlier this summer, a handful of Trump lawyers believed Jared Kushner should step down due to legal complications arising from the Russia probe. After internal debate, the suggestion was ultimately dismissed as one of several efforts âfocused on sabotagingâ Kushner, who had several interactions with Russia during the 2016 campaign and transition. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)
2/ A Supreme Court justice temporarily reinstated Trumpâs refugee ban. Last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the government couldnât prohibit refugees from entering the country if they had reassurances from a resettlement agency. Justice Kennedy overruled the lower court. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the travel ban on October 10. (Bloomberg / Reuters)
3/ Trumpâs voter fraud commission is heading to New Hampshire, where Kris Kobach claimed out-of-state votersâ ballots led to the election of Senator Maggie Hassan over Kelly Ayotte in 2016. Trump has repeatedly charged without evidence that millions voted illegally in the last election, and he established the commission in May. (Reuters / NBC News)
4/ Lawmakers rejected Trumpâs proposal to slash health research funding. Trump had requested deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health. Instead, Congress increased funding for biomedical research, passing a $36.1 billion appropriations bill for the agency. (New York Times)
5/ Mexico rescinded its offer of aid to the United States after Trump failed to offer condolences following the Mexico City earthquake and its own hurricane. The country had previously pledged to help fund the Hurricane Harvey recovery effort âas good neighbors should always do in trying times.â (LA Times)
6/ The U.N. Security Council unanimously passed its toughest sanctions on North Korea yet. The sanctions will limit Pyongyangâs oil imports and halt its textile exports in an attempt to âtake the future of the North Korean nuclear program out of the hands of its outlaw regime.â (Washington Post)
- Trump will visit China in November. He has repeatedly called on Beijing to put an end to North Koreaâs nuclear weapons program. (Bloomberg)
7/ Russian actors remotely organized and promoted pro-Trump, anti-immigrant protests via Facebook. A former FBI agent referred to the events as Russiaâs ânext stepâ in its influence campaign. Facebook confirmed it âshut down several promoted events as part of the takedownâ it reported last week. (Daily Beast)
8/ The White House legislative affairs director said Trump would not tie border wall funding to DACA legislation. The claim echoes that of House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, who made similar remarks last week. The legislative affairs director said Trump âis not backing off a border wall.â (The Hill)
9/ Two senators unveiled a bipartisan proposal to block Trumpâs transgender military service ban. Kirsten Gillibrandâs and Susan Collinsâ amendment would bar the military from removing transgender service members based on their gender identity alone. (CNN)
A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
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