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Trump Names Stephen Miller Chief of Staff, Moving Susie Wiles to Political Operations
President Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff effective Monday, Nov. 9. “I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said Wiles “will be moving over to the Trump Political Operation” and thanked her for an “outstanding job.”
Wiles stated, “Today is my last day as White House Chief of Staff.” The change follows Republican losses in the midterm elections. Miller, previously deputy chief of staff, has been a central figure in the administration’s immigration policies since Trump’s first term. Wiles, the first woman to hold the post, worked on Trump’s prior campaigns.
Why It Matters
Elevating the architect of the administration’s immigration enforcement to the top staff role signals continued pressure to secure the border and reverse mass illegal entry that has strained American communities and wages. After midterm setbacks, the shift keeps policy focused on enforcing existing law rather than expanding entitlements that dilute citizenship and national cohesion.
Two Top DOJ Officials Resign, Including Prosecutor Overseeing Brennan Probe
John Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for the National Security Division, and Jason Reding Quiñones, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, resigned Friday. Attorney General Todd Blanche accepted both. Quiñones oversaw an investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan and other officials involved in past probes of President Trump. Eisenberg’s division handled national security matters, including aspects of the John Bolton classified documents case.
The resignations follow Harmeet Dhillon’s departure Thursday from the Civil Rights Division. Blanche said of Quiñones: “We are grateful for Jason’s leadership in combatting violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and transnational crime, including the indictment of Raúl Castro.” Of Eisenberg he stated the official “has served with distinction, strengthening our nation’s ability to address threats, both foreign and domestic.” Neither official publicly explained the move. The changes came days after Republican midterm losses.
Why It Matters
Departures of officials running probes into alleged past abuses against a sitting president risk stalling efforts to hold accountable those who weaponized intelligence and law enforcement against political opponents. The timing, after midterm losses, leaves it open whether investigations into that record will continue or fade under new congressional oversight.
Florida Voters Approve Major Expansion of Homestead Property Tax Exemption
Florida voters approved Amendment 3 with roughly 62 percent of the vote Tuesday, clearing the 60 percent threshold to amend the state constitution. Beginning in 2027, qualifying homeowners can shield the first $150,000 of their home’s assessed value from most local non-school property taxes, up from $50,000. That exemption rises to $250,000 in 2028 and adjusts with inflation starting in 2029.
A Realtor.com analysis estimated the median Florida homeowner could save about $1,800 annually by 2028. New residents who are not Florida residents by Dec. 31, 2026, receive only the current exemption until their fifth year of eligibility. The measure also halves the annual assessment increase cap on non-homestead properties from 10 percent to 5 percent. Real estate executive Miltiadis Kastanis said clients were texting: “Did you see this? Look at this, it’s great.”
Why It Matters
Voters directly expanded the homestead exemption and capped assessment growth, returning money to homeowners who have watched tax bills climb with property values. That choice favors individual property owners over expanding local government budgets and reinforces the principle that citizens can limit the tax burden on their primary homes through constitutional amendment.
Thune Signals Bid for Senate Minority Leader After Midterm Losses
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is preparing to seek another term as Republican leader, this time as minority leader, after Democrats won control of the Senate in Tuesday’s midterms. A spokesperson confirmed the plan. Leadership elections are set for next week. No challenger has publicly emerged.
In a post after the results, Thune said Senate Republicans put up “a strong record of accomplishment” on safer streets, tax cuts, border security and judicial confirmations. He added, “As we head into 2027, Senate Republicans will not stand idly by as the far-left, socialist wing of the Democrat Party attempts to unwind everything we’ve done. Thankfully, we still have President Trump in the White House, and we’ll work with him to stop the worst impulses of Democrat extremism.” Some conservatives criticized Thune for not forcing passage of the SAVE America Act by abolishing the filibuster.
Why It Matters
Voters just handed Democrats the Senate after Thune spent two years protecting the filibuster instead of securing elections. Keeping the same leader who refused to use every tool available simply guarantees the same results next cycle.
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Senator-Elect Abdul El-Sayed Places Hands on Reporter in Election Day Confrontation
Michigan Democrat Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) laid hands on SKY News reporter James Matthews during Election Night coverage Tuesday. Video showed El-Sayed stepping close and placing both hands on Matthews’ shoulders while berating him for asking questions. El-Sayed declared he wanted “zero” votes from the United Kingdom.
“Why would I care to have a conversation with you?” El-Sayed asked after learning Matthews was not a Michigan voter. He continued: “You’re a journalist? In the UK? You know how many votes I want to get in the UK? Zero! I’m never running for office in the UK. So I actually do not care what you think, or the questions you ask.” Matthews noted the election’s international significance as El-Sayed demanded he stop “chasing me around” and walked away. El-Sayed later won the seat as the first Muslim American in the U.S. Senate.
Why It Matters
Physical contact with a journalist who is simply asking questions signals contempt for the press and for anyone outside the candidate’s immediate voter base. That attitude from a newly elected senator threatens open inquiry and the expectation that public officials answer for their record rather than dismiss scrutiny with shoulder grabs and insults.
CAIR Suspends Florida Operations After Terror Designation Takes Effect
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its Florida chapter suspended operations after the state’s domestic terrorist organization designation took effect. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor of the Northern District of Florida, appointed by Trump, denied the group’s emergency request to block the label. Attorney General James Uthmeier (R-FL) called the ruling a “great win by our Solicitor General’s office and for the people of Florida.” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said, “Florida is holding CAIR accountable.”
The group announced it had “suspended our operations in Florida because of Governor DeSantis and other state officials’ baseless and unconstitutional enforcement of the state’s unprecedented new ‘domestic terrorist organization’ laws against us.” Hiba Rahim, former executive director of CAIR-Florida, said the organization was “heartbroken that we have no choice but to close our doors to protect our staff and people of all faiths who support our work.” The ACLU is appealing the decision.
Why It Matters
States finally have tools to cut off groups long accused of operating as Muslim Brotherhood fronts. Florida’s designation forces accountability for an organization that has spent decades embedding itself in American civic life while shielding radical networks from scrutiny and public funding.
Somali Daycare Owner With Millions in State Funding Wins Minnesota House Seat
Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Abdi Daisane, a Somali American who owns Blooming Kids Child Care Center in St. Cloud, won Minnesota House District 14A with about 52 percent of the vote. He defeated Republican Mike Conway, flipping a Republican-held seat and becoming the area’s first Somali American state lawmaker. Daisane delivered part of his victory speech in Somali. He previously lost the same race in 2024.
The center received $7.29 million in Child Care Assistance Program payments from 2018 through 2025. It also collected about $598,000 through the federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program, once sponsored by Partners in Nutrition, a nonprofit that settled an $18.5 million fraud case. State records show at least 16 licensing violations at the facility. A nearby worker said they never recalled seeing children enter or leave. Daisane has not been charged. His campaign did not respond to questions about the funding or violations.
Why It Matters
Minnesota’s fraud scandals already drained hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars through empty daycares and sham meal programs. Electing a beneficiary of those same subsidy streams to write the next budget simply hands the keys to people who treat public funds as a private ATM.
Radical-Leftist State Senator Scott Wiener Wins Nancy Pelosi’s Former Congressional Seat
California state Sen. Scott Wiener (D) won the race for California’s 11th Congressional District, defeating San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan after she conceded Wednesday. With about 57 percent of votes counted, Wiener held 55 percent to Chan’s 44 percent. He becomes the first openly LGBTQ person to represent San Francisco in Congress, ending Nancy Pelosi’s nearly four-decade hold on the seat. Pelosi had endorsed Chan.
Wiener authored Senate Bill 132 in 2020, which allows transgender, nonbinary, and intersex inmates to request housing in facilities matching their gender identity. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it, and it took effect in 2021. Wiener has also advocated that transgender women should compete alongside female athletes. Chan stated she saw no clear path to victory after reviewing remaining ballots.
Why It Matters
Policies placing biological males in female prisons and sports expose vulnerable women and girls to physical risks and erase fair competition categories built on biological reality. Elevating a lawmaker who championed those measures to Congress entrenches gender ideology over sex-based protections that safeguard women’s safety and opportunities nationwide.
ON THIS DAY IN 1860:
Republican Abraham Lincoln won the U.S. presidential election. His victory served as the primary catalyst for Southern states seceding, leading directly to the Civil War.
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Iranian Regime Hands Out Iodine Tablets Near Nuclear Facilities
Iranian authorities are distributing iodine tablets to communities near nuclear sites, including areas linked to the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility south of Natanz. A health ministry official confirmed the distribution and said it occurs within a two-to-three-kilometer radius of nuclear facilities during periods of conflict.
The official stated, “Yes, we are distributing iodine. During every war, we have tried to distribute it within a two-to-three-kilometer radius of nuclear facilities. Trump can no longer be trusted. He may go through with this crime.” Authorities also circulated a video instructing residents near Pickaxe Mountain to get inside, stay inside and listen for updates in the event of an attack, warning that those closest could have only 10 to 15 minutes before fallout arrives. The tablets are intended to reduce thyroid absorption of radioactive iodine.
Why It Matters
A regime that stockpiles enriched uranium and buries facilities under mountains is now handing out radiation pills to its own people. That preparation reveals the human cost of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and its willingness to risk civilian exposure while defying inspections and threats of force from the free world.
Syrian President Al-Sharaa Signs Defense Deal With Saudi Arabia in Riyadh
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Riyadh on Wednesday and signed multiple agreements with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including a cooperation pact between the two countries’ defense ministries. State media from both nations listed the defense agreement among deals covering development, infrastructure, energy, housing, health, and other sectors. Details of the military cooperation were not disclosed.
The visit was al-Sharaa’s second to the kingdom in less than a month. Discussions included the risks of military escalation to regional security and calls for an immediate halt to threats against navigation in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia also agreed to more than $403 million in loans for Syrian reconstruction projects. Al-Sharaa previously led the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group before Assad’s fall in 2024.
Why It Matters
Legitimizing a former jihadi commander with formal defense ties to a major Gulf power risks emboldening remnants of al-Qaeda networks that once targeted American interests. The arrangement could expand military capabilities for a government still navigating Islamist roots, complicating U.S. efforts to contain Iranian proxies and secure vital shipping lanes.
France Deploys 70,000 Officers as Left-Wing Mobilization Sparks Nationwide Protests
France deployed 70,000 police officers Thursday as tens of thousands joined nationwide strikes and protests after left-wing groups called for mobilization. The Eiffel Tower closed in Paris. Riot police fired tear gas and charged protesters in Lyon. A high school near Toulouse was set on fire.
An official near Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported about 270,000 participants in 180 rallies outside the capital early Thursday. Roughly one-third of high schools closed due to blockades or teacher strikes. CGT union head Sophie Binet said, “We need to turn up in big numbers on the streets today.” Unions stated, “Fuel, food products, rent, gas, electricity... everything’s going up except wages and pensions.” The U.S. Embassy warned Americans of disruptions and possible violence. The actions follow October unrest that President Emmanuel Macron blamed on ultra-left groups.
Why It Matters
Left-wing unions and radicals shut down landmarks, torch schools and force massive police deployments while the country edges toward recession. This pattern of street violence and economic disruption erodes public order and investor confidence in a major Western ally months before a presidential election, showing how organized agitation can undermine democratic stability and free-market prosperity.
Kenyan Cult Leader Sentenced to 200 Years for Child Starvation Murders
A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher, Paul Mackenzie, was sentenced Friday to 200 years in prison for the murder of 190 children and one adult. The Mombasa High Court imposed 100 years for homicide charges and 100 years for starvation charges. He had been convicted last month alongside 28 co-accused of murders between January 2021 and September 2023 in the Shakahola Forest Massacre.
Mackenzie, a former taxi driver, was accused of inciting followers of his Good News International Church to starve themselves to death to “meet Jesus.” Prosecutors sought the death penalty, but Kenya has not carried out an execution since 1987. Francis Wanje, who lost two grandchildren, said: “Nothing can ease the pain.” He added: “I really have great (anger) towards the authorities. If they had taken action, we would not be here today.” Mackenzie also faces other charges he denies.
Why It Matters
Cult leaders who exploit religious fervor to starve children to death expose the lethal end of unchecked apocalyptic indoctrination that preys on the vulnerable. The 200-year sentence delivers accountability for mass murder of the innocent and signals that such atrocities against the young will face the fullest legal consequences available.
