Plus: Which Cities Have The Worst Rat Problem, And Good Sportsmanship Still Exists!

Good evening from Washington, D.C.,

It’s a city that’s dominated the headlines lately, but this time, something that’s not political and draws ire from almost everyone on both sides of the aisle: rats. New York might get the bad rap, but the data says D.C. actually leads in rat growth among major global cities, with a nearly 400% increase in sightings over the past decade.

The rat population in major international cities has grown significantly in the last decade due to climate change and increased urbanization, according to a study in the journal Science Advances.
- Cities with the highest increases in temperature (shorter winters mean more time to reproduce), fewer green areas, and denser human populations saw more rats. More densely-packed cities = more food waste, fueling rat reproduction.

Cities have struggled with controlling their rat populations. Rats’ tendency to avoid new foods makes poison difficult. Cities have worked to keep the streets clean of garbage and food scraps to deter growth.

Having lived in both New York and D.C., I can confidently say our nation’s capital does have more rats — I even had a few make their way into my kitchen in my first D.C. house. That’s coming from someone who gives D.C. the award for being a much cleaner city than New York. My unscientific thought is that New York rats eat more (they seem bigger), but they’re less social so they maybe they have fewer babies 🐀

Lauren
Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

U.S. Revokes Visas For Six Foreigners For Anti-Charlie Kirk Social Posts

The U.S. State Department has revoked the visas of at least six foreign nationals accused of celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The State Department posted screenshots Tuesday of social media comments by individuals from Argentina, Germany, and Brazil, saying those who “wish death on Americans” are “not welcome” in the U.S.
- The posts included “when fascists die, democrats don’t complain,” while another said he “devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric” and alluded to him being in hell.

Officials did not name the visa holders or specify their visa types. The move comes as the Trump administration uses the broad authority courts have long given the executive branch to deport visa holders — a gray area where First Amendment protections are unclear.

LOOKING AT THE LAW
The move — announced as President Trump awarded Kirk a posthumous Medal of Freedom — comes amid growing scrutiny over free speech following Kirk’s killing. That has included the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show and private companies firing some workers because of their public comments.

Back to the visa issue: The same comments made about Kirk, if expressed by an American citizen, would not constitute grounds for arrest — but for foreign nationals, they can lead to deportation.
- Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “If you are here on a visa and cheering on the public assassination of a political figure, prepare to be deported. You are not welcome in this country.”

LOOKING AT THE LEGAL
All people in the U.S. — from citizens to undocumented immigrants — have historically been protected by the First Amendment’s five freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

The constitution doesn’t refer to “citizens” but simply “people.” Former conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said in a 2014 interview, “I think anybody who’s present in the United States has protections under the United States Constitution.”
At the same time, courts have also ruled that these rights can be limited if the government deems speech to pose a national security or immigration risk.
- The State Department has wide discretion in visa issuance and revocation, and has recently canceled visas for individuals accused of promoting hate speech, inciting violence, or supporting terrorist organizations. Some of those cases have faced legal challenges.
- The State Department has also expanded social media vetting for visa holders, and the U.S. has revoked thousands of student visas since Trump took office.

Critics argue this creates a chill on free speech for non-citizens, since the government can revoke visas based on subjective standards of what it considers “unacceptable,” raising concerns about selective enforcement and political bias.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING

Nearly All Major Media Outlets Reject Pentagon’s Restrictive Press Policy

Dozens of reporters from major news outlets are handing over their Pentagon press badges today after a new restrictive media policy took effect Tuesday evening. ABC, NBC, CBS, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, Newsmax, The Washington Times, and dozens more refused to sign a pledge, introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month, not to obtain or use any unapproved/unauthorized material — even if the information is unclassified.

Fox News, where Hegseth formerly worked, also refused to sign.
EXCEPTION: Only far-right outlet One America News has agreed to comply.

Retired four-star General Jack Keane and Fox News anchor Bret Baier — who covered the Pentagon for six years with Fox — blasted the new media restrictions Tuesday night, calling them a threat to press freedom.

“That’s not journalism,” Keane said. “Journalism is going out and finding the story and getting all the facts that support it.”

OUTLETS VS. HEGSETH
Hegseth, next to President Trump on Tuesday, characterized the restrictions as “commonsense,” saying that journalists do not identify themselves and “could go pretty much anywhere” inside one of the most secure buildings in the world. But journalists already wear badges identifying themselves and do not enter classified areas, CNN national security correspondent Barbara Starr explained.

Critics have condemned the policy as unconstitutional, calling it a direct attack on press freedom.

The New York Times wrote that the policy “constrains how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars annually.”
The Pentagon Press Association, a body that represents the beat reporters, says the new policy “gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release.”
- No other federal agency — not even the White House — has demanded such a pledge.

Hegseth responded to outlets’ explanations Monday with a 👋 on X.

BIGGER PICTURE
Hegseth’s Pentagon has held six main briefings since January — a stark contrast to previous administrations. In recent years, The Defense Department held weekly press briefings. Officials have also evicted many news outlets from their Pentagon workspaces and sharply restricted where reporters can go without an escort.

LOTS OF NEWS: In the four months since Hegseth last briefed reporters, the U.S. military has carried out strikes in the Caribbean Sea and deployed troops to American cities — both actions now under legal scrutiny.
Inside the Pentagon, thousands of uniformed and civilian workers will be required to sign nondisclosure agreements and undergo random polygraph tests as Hegseth intensifies his crackdown on leaks to reporters or finding officials deemed insufficiently loyal, according to Washington Post reporting.

Journalists across major outlets vow to continue reporting on the Pentagon regardless.

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⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Young GOP chat roils New York, Washington, beyond (POLITICO)
Judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from firing workers during the government shutdown (AP)
Tear gas released on Chicago crowd as Border Patrol describes chase, crash and arrests (NBC)
Major airports refuse to show DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s video blaming Democrats for the government shutdown (ABC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Masked Hamas militants seen executing men in Gaza City as the group fights with rival powers (CNN)
Afghanistan’s Taliban and Pakistan agree short truce after deadly clashes (BBC)
Australia’s highest court rejects Candace Owens’ challenge to government barring her from visiting country (AP)
Police clash with protesters as huge strike takes place in Brussels (POLITICO)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

Trump administration slams China’s ‘global power grab’ on rare earths, threatens triple-digit tariffs (FOX)
‘Toxic’ amount of lead found in protein powders and shakes (NEW YORK POST)
New York health officials confirm state’s first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus (NBC)
Smucker’s sues Trader Joe’s over product its says mimics Uncrustables (CBS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘One Battle After Another’ projected to lose $100 million theatrically (VARIETY)
Drew Struzan, poster designer for Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, dies aged 78 (GUARDIAN)
Broadway musicians vote to authorize a strike (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
Kim Kardashian admitted it was not “appropriate” to pose in lingerie next to 16-Year-Old Justin Bieber as she reflects on their 2010 photoshoot (BUZZFEED)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… A high school girls basketball team in Oklahoma returned a championship title when they discovered that they actually lost the game.

The Academy of Classical Christian Studies played Apache High School last year, in a game that ended in an exciting buzzer beater: 44-43, with Academy winning the team’s first championship title.
- Academy’s head coach, Brendan King, felt something was off, given some scoreboard confusion earlier in the game. After re-watching the game, and marking each point, he realized the real score was 43-42, with Apache winning instead.
Although Academy was allowed to keep the title – the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association rules state that scores are final and cannot be changed once a game is over – the Academy team unanimously decided to appeal their win — aka give up the title— in an unprecedented move.

The appeal was granted, with King hand-delivering the championship plaque to the Apache team, whose head coach, Amy Merriweather, remarked, “It showed us there are still good people in this world.”