🚨 HAPPENING RIGHT NOW 🚨
Fox News has parted ways with longtime anchor Maria Bartiromo, effective immediately, ending a run that spanned more than two decades across Mornings with Maria, Sunday Morning Futures and Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street. Reports point to a dispute over a spiked story on alleged Chinese involvement in the 2020 election as the flashpoint; Bartiromo is also named in the network's ongoing Dominion and Smartmatic defamation suits. President Trump praised her on Truth Social as a total professional and a true warrior, predicting her fans will not be happy with the exit.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, 2026
Before we get to today’s news, here’s what happened on this date in history. On this day in 1781, Los Angeles was founded by 44 Spanish settlers under orders from California’s Spanish governor, Felipe de Neve.
Also on this day in 1888, George Eastman received a patent for the Kodak camera, bringing photography to the masses.
🎖️ Trump Names Adam Telle Acting Army Secretary
President Trump named Adam Telle acting Army secretary Thursday, tapping the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to lead the branch after Dan Driscoll’s abrupt resignation. Trump called Telle “a Great Patriot, who is respected by all,” citing his deep relationships with the Senate as valuable while the administration works to confirm Army nominees.
Telle previously served as chief of staff to Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and was Trump’s chief liaison to the Senate during his first term.
He spent a decade in the late Sen. Thad Cochran’s office, including as deputy chief of staff and top national security advisor.
Driscoll resigned this week after reported clashes with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over Army transformation and readiness initiatives.
💸 Musk’s America PAC Makes Its First Midterm Move
Elon Musk’s America PAC has begun spending on the 2026 midterms, reporting more than $800,000 across 44 expenditures as it wades into competitive Senate and House races nationwide. The Texas Senate race drew the largest share, with over $120,000 spent boosting Republican Ken Paxton and opposing Democrat James Talarico.
The PAC is also backing GOP Senate hopeful Mike Rogers in Michigan and House members Ashley Hinson, Mike Lawler and Thomas Kean Jr.
Most of the money has gone through Storytellers Group, a direct-mail vendor, for “printing” expenses.
It’s the first spending from America PAC, which Musk launched during the 2024 campaign, aimed at the 2026 midterm cycle.
📈 August Jobs Report Crushes Expectations
The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, nearly tripling economists’ forecast of 56,000, in a sharp rebound from July’s surprising decline. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, matching expectations.
The stronger-than-expected hiring suggests the labor market has regained momentum after months of uncertainty.
The rebound follows a surprising decline in July payrolls that had raised concerns about a slowing labor market.
The report is likely to factor into the Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision.
🐉 Ro Khanna's Top Adviser Tied to Chinese Influence Network
Rep. Ro Khanna's longtime adviser, California businessman Henry Yin, has been revealed to have deep ties to Chinese Communist Party-linked influence networks, even as Khanna sits as the top Democrat on the House committee tasked with countering Chinese influence. Khanna publicly named Yin a senior adviser on foreign trade in 2019 and praised him as a “good friend,” but his office now claims Yin never held a formal role.
Yin serves as national chair of the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs group, an organization founded by alleged Chinese operative Fang Fang and tied to United Front influence networks.
A 2013 photo appears to show Yin alongside Fang Fang and a Chinese consul general; Yin has also attended China's National Day Banquet with senior CCP officials.
Khanna serves as ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with China, the panel charged with scrutinizing CCP influence operations.
🚔 ICE Officer Charged With Lying About Minneapolis Shooting
Federal prosecutors charged ICE officer Christian Castro, 52, with lying to investigators about a January shooting in north Minneapolis in which he shot Venezuelan migrant Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg. Castro had claimed he opened fire because he was being attacked, but video evidence contradicted his account and the charges against Sosa-Celis were later dropped.
Prosecutors allege Castro fired through a door “with the intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death” to four adults nearby; the bullet traveled through a closet and struck a child’s bedroom wall.
Castro faces up to five years in prison on the false-statements charge; his indictment remains sealed and he has not yet been taken into federal custody.
Castro was briefly jailed in Texas in May but released after Gov. Greg Abbott declined to approve his extradition to Minnesota.