By J. Patrick Coolican | Editor-in-chief
Good morning, Reformers,
We sent out a fundraising letter this morning to those who haven’t given lately. Get your tax–deductible donations in before the end of the year, or buy some Reformer merch.
October inflation readings came in hotter than expected this morning, which is another explanation for the Democrats’ victory last week.
The Dems need to show they are focused on affordability, so they can stop funding the war in Iran and claw back President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariff regime — or at least send those bills to his desk for vetoes — to show voters they are serious about taming inflation.
The inflation number is a bigger problem for Trump and Republicans, who will continue to own it. And, it could lead the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to fight inflation, which in turn could risk an economic slowdown.
First, though, a local angle: Minnesotan Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faces an impeachment vote after Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky brought the articles Monday, reports Jonathan Shorman of States Newsroom’s D.C. bureau. Interestingly, the Signal chat that included an Atlantic editor — remember that!? — which would be a major scandal in any other administration, is mentioned only in passing in the articles of impeachment, which focus instead on prosecuting illegal wars. Minnesota’s delegation should propose an additional article for embarrassing Minnesota.
Closer to home, it’s interesting that Sen. Scott Dibble will chair the Senate Taxes Committee, while Rep. Aisha Gomez will likely chair House Taxes. That’s two Minneapolitans chairing taxes.
To the Reformer:
Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort (off camera) interview Cities Church Pastor Jonathan Parnell during the protest inside the church on Jan. 18, 2026 (Screenshot from The Don Lemon Show)
By Max Nesterak
Attorneys for five journalists facing felony charges over an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul church urged a federal magistrate judge during a Monday court hearing to reject the “vindictive” prosecution of the press by the Trump administration and dismiss the charges.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, Center for Broadcast Journalism founder Georgia Fort and three other journalists — Michael Beute, Jerome Richardson and Shane Bollman — were charged after covering a January protest disrupting a Sunday service at Cities Church, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field director serves as a pastor.
Attorneys for Lemon, Fort and the other journalists accused the federal government of criminalizing journalism and said that even if every allegation in the indictment were true, their clients’ actions would not constitute a crime.
By Grace Panetta
From our friends at The 19th:
The milestone is the culmination of decades’ worth of work recruiting and fundraising for Democratic women by groups like Elect Democratic Women and EMILY’S List, founded in the 1980s.
“This is a powerful testament to what happens when we bet on women and help them build winning campaigns,” EMILY’s List president Jessica Mackler said in a statement.
“Time and again, women have proven to be Democrats’ strongest path to building power in Congress,” she added.
IN OTHER NEWS
Incoming chair of US Senate panel will seek healthcare overhaul, but unclear on details | Reformer via States Newsroom
Permitting overhaul advances in US Senate with tepid bipartisan support | Reformer via States Newsroom
Hegseth attacks civilian-led education in Naval War College speech | Reformer via Rhode Island Current
More on the woman at center of spy probe after affair with AI chip CEO Jensen Huang | Wall Street Journal gift link
OH BY THE WAY
I’m reading “All the Shah’s Men,” which is about the CIA and British-led coup of Iran’s democratically-elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953. The event is probably unknown to the vast majority of Americans but very fresh in the Iranian imagination, which is a reason to improve American literacy and the teaching of history, but I digress.
Stephen Kinzer’s description of the depraved rule of the Qajar figures like Nasir al-Din Shah in the late 19th century is darkly amusing:
“His harem, where spent much of his time, grew to 1,600 wives, concubines, and eunuchs. He fathered hundreds of princes, all of whom had free access to the national treasury. Garish clusters of jewels decorated his palaces. When he became bored by the pleasures of home, he would set out for Europe accompanied by a huge entourage. He demanded to be called not only Shah of Shahs but also Asylum of the Universe, Subduer of Climate, Arbitrator of His People, Guardian of the Flock, Conqueror of Lands, and Shadow of God on Earth. Those who refused to honor him were flogged, shot from cannons, buried alive, or set afire in public squares.”
Here’s the #1 hit of 1980, the year of the Iranian hostage crisis: Blondie’s “Call me.”
Have a great day all! JPC
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