Day 1742: "You’ll go down as a wimp."

27/10/25 14:55
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/27/day-1742/

Day 1742

Today in one sentence: The Trump administration will stop providing food assistance on Nov. 1 for about 42 million Americans; the Pentagon is using a $130 million private donation to help pay troops during the government shutdown; the largest federal workers union urged Congress to end the shutdown and pass a “clean continuing resolution” to reopen the government; Indiana Gov. Mike Braun called a special session to consider redrawing the state’s congressional map to give Republicans up to two additional U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms; Trump ended trade talks with Canada and said he would add an additional 10% tariff after Ontario aired a U.S. ad using Ronald Reagan’s 1987 remarks opposing tariffs; and Trump – again – refused to rule out an unconstitutional third term, saying “I would love to do it.”

1/ The Trump administration will stop providing food assistance on Nov. 1 for about 42 million Americans after deciding not to use emergency funds to continue the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the government shutdown. SNAP has never before lapsed during a shutdown. The Agriculture Department said “the well has run dry,” blaming Senate Democrats for the lapse, and confirmed that states won’t be reimbursed if they cover the costs. Officials said the $5–$6 billion in contingency funds are reserved for disasters and “not legally available” for regular benefits. Several governors have declared emergencies to keep aid flowing, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the move “a disgusting dereliction of duty.” (Axios / Reuters / New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News / Bloomberg / Politico)

2/ EARLIER: The Pentagon is using a $130 million private donation to help pay troops during the government shutdown. Trump declined to name the donor, calling him “a patriot,” “a friend of mine,” and “a great gentleman.” The money, however, came from Timothy Mellon, a billionaire heir and major Trump donor. The Pentagon said it accepted the money under its “general gift acceptance authority” and that it would be used “to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits.” (CNN / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / Associated Press)

3/ The largest federal workers union urged Congress to end the shutdown and pass a “clean continuing resolution” to reopen the government. Senate Democrats have continued to demand an agreement to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies before voting to reopen, while Republicans want to pass a stopgap funding bill before negotiating ACA subsidies. The House-passed measure to fund the government through Nov. 21 has failed repeatedly in the Senate. The shutdown began Oct. 1 and has entered its fourth week, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid. (NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Washington Post / Bloomberg / The Guardian / CNBC)

4/ Indiana Gov. Mike Braun called a special session to consider redrawing the state’s congressional map to give Republicans up to two additional U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The move follows direct White House involvement, including two visits by JD Vance to lobby state lawmakers and a phone call from Trump urging Indiana Republicans to support new maps. Support in the state Senate, however, remains uncertain, with a spokesperson saying “the votes still aren’t there.” Republicans have already gained about seven U.S. House seats through new maps in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina, while Democratic efforts in California and Virginia could add up to nine seats if approved. (Associated Press / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / New York Times / ABC News / Axios / The Guardian)

5/ EARLIER: Trump ended trade talks with Canada and said he would add an additional 10% tariff after Ontario aired a U.S. ad using Ronald Reagan’s 1987 remarks opposing tariffs. In that speech, Reagan warned tariffs might appear patriotic, but “hurt every American worker and consumer” and “trigger fierce trade wars.” The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation said the ad “misrepresented” Reagan’s words, prompting Trump to say Canada used a “FAKE” Reagan ad to influence the Supreme Court, which is currently considering a legal challenge to his tariffs, and declared, “ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” Trump later called the ad a “hostile act” and announced the tariff increase. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the ad campaign would pause after it aired during the first two World Series games. Carney said Canada “stands ready” to resume talks “when the Americans are ready.” (CNN / New York Times / Politico / Associated Press / Reuters / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / NBC News)

6/ Trump – again – refused to rule out an unconstitutional third term, saying “I would love to do it” and telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me.” The 22nd Amendment, however, prevents anyone from being elected president more than twice. Separately, Trump said he underwent an MRI during his recent Walter Reed visit and called the result “perfect,” adding, “I gave you the full results,” while declining to say why the scan was done. A White House physician’s memo said the exam included “advanced imaging” and described Trump’s health as “exceptional,” but it didn’t mention an MRI or its purpose. (Axios / Bloomberg / CBS News / The Hill / NBC News / CNN / New York Times / CNBC)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 27 days; the 2026 midterms are in 372 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Trump criticized Putin for testing a nuclear-capable cruise missile instead of ending the war in Ukraine, saying “you ought to get the war ended” while noting that a U.S. nuclear submarine was “right off Russia’s coast.” Russia claimed the Burevestnik missile could fly more than 8,000 miles, though U.S. experts questioned its capabilities. The Kremlin said Moscow would continue testing weapons, citing “national interests.” (Washington Post)

  2. Trump said he wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, telling reporters to “put out the word.” He called North Korea “sort of a nuclear power,” suggesting a possible break from U.S. policy that rejects recognizing Pyongyang’s arsenal. Kim has said he would meet only if the U.S. ends its push for denuclearization. (Wall Street Journal / BBC)

  3. The Pentagon ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to Latin America, expanding Trump’s campaign of strikes on suspected drug boats that have killed at least 43 people. Trump claimed the U.S. was in an “armed conflict” with cartels and vowed, “We’re going to kill them,” though Congress hasn’t authorized military action. Critics and legal experts also question the legality of targeting civilians and warned the buildup could widen conflict in Venezuela and Colombia. (New York Times / Associated Press / Axios / Washington Post)

  4. The Trump administration approved new oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the decisions showed that “Alaska is open for business.” Major oil companies, however, have shown little interest in the new Arctic leases, citing high costs, limited infrastructure, and reputational risks tied to drilling in a protected wilderness. Previous lease sales under Trump’s first term drew almost no bids. (New York Times)

  5. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., breaking with decades of U.S. dietary guidelines, plans to urge Americans to eat more saturated fats. He said the new advice would promote “saturated fats of dairy, of good meat, of fresh meat and vegetables.” Scientists, however, warned the shift would raise cholesterol levels, increase heart disease risk, and bypass the usual scientific review process. (The Guardian)

  6. Trump told Mike Pence “You’ll go down as a wimp” on Jan. 6, according to Pence’s handwritten notes revealed in a new book by journalist Jonathan Karl. The notes detailed Trump’s pressure to block certification of Biden’s victory, which Pence refused. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team had planned to use Pence’s notes and Trump’s phone records to show he pressured Pence to block certification, but prosecutors dropped the case after Trump’s 2024 election because a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity barred criminal charges against a sitting president. (ABC News / Washington Post)

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Day 1738: "To shake down the American people."

23/10/25 14:36
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/23/day-1738/

Day 1738

Today in one sentence: The Senate rejected two bills to pay federal workers during the shutdown, which is now in its 23rd day; at least 25 states warned that food aid benefits will stop in November if the federal government shutdown continues; Trump called off a planned “surge” of federal immigration agents in San Francisco after a late-night calls with Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives; Virginia Democrats plan to call a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map in an effort to add up to three Democratic seats; House Democrats opened an investigation into Trump’s demand that the Justice Department pay him $230 million for past criminal investigations; the U.S. national debt surpassed $38 trillion, the fastest $1 trillion increase in history outside the pandemic; Trump pardoned the Binance founder who promoted the Trump family’s meme coin and crypto venture; and Russia denounced Trump’s sanctions on its top oil companies, calling them “an unfriendly act” and warning that they would damage U.S.-Russia relations.

1/ The Senate rejected two bills to pay federal workers during the shutdown, which is now in its 23rd day. Workers are set to miss their first full paycheck this week. Democrats insist on negotiating Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions before reopening, while Republicans have maintained that talks could only start after funding passes. Trump, meanwhile, 57 cumulative shutdown days across his two terms set a new record surpassing Jimmy Carter’s 56 days. (Washington Post / Politico / Associated Press / Axios)

2/ At least 25 states warned that food aid benefits will stop in November if the federal government shutdown continues. The Agriculture Department ordered states to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments “until further notice,” affecting over 42 million recipients. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that without a deal to reopen the government, benefits will “go away” by Nov. 1. (Politico / Reuters / CBS News)

3/ Trump called off a planned “surge” of federal immigration agents in San Francisco after a late-night calls with Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives. Trump said that “friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward” and said Lurie “asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around.” Lurie confirmed that Trump “told me clearly that he was calling off any plans for a federal deployment in San Francisco.” The reversal came hours after agents began stagging at a Coast Guard base in Alameda, where police used flash-bang grenades on protesters blocking the entrance. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trump had “finally, for once, listened to reason.” (CalMatters / San Francisco Standard / Politico / Axios / The Guardian / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / NBC News)

4/ Virginia Democrats plan to call a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map in an effort to add up to three Democratic seats. The move would make Virginia the second state, after California, where Democrats are attempting to counter Trump’s redistricting effort before the 2026 midterm elections. “We are coming back to address actions by the Trump administration,” Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said. The proposed changes would take the form of a constitutional amendment, requiring approval in consecutive legislative sessions and a voter referendum. Republicans called the plan “a desperate move.” (NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post)

5/ House Democrats opened an investigation into Trump’s demand that the Justice Department pay him $230 million for past criminal investigations, including the Russia probe and the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search. Judiciary ranking member Jamie Raskin and Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia requested all related Justice Department records, correspondence, and internal analyses by Oct. 30. The lawmakers wrote that Trump’s plan to direct Treasury funds to himself was “an outrageous and shocking attempt to shake down the American people,” and cited the Constitution’s ban on presidential payments beyond salary. (CBS News / Axios)

6/ The U.S. national debt surpassed $38 trillion, the fastest $1 trillion increase in history outside the pandemic. Interest payments are now the fastest-growing part of the federal budget, projected to hit $14 trillion in the next decade. While the Trump administration claims it cut the deficit by $350 billion this year, economists say shutdown costs and rising interest rates are worsening the country’s finances. (Associated Press / Fortune / CBS News)

7/ Trump pardoned the Binance founder who promoted the Trump family’s meme coin and crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. Earlier this year, Changpeng Zhao and Binance promoted the Trumps’ USD1 token and facilitated a $2 billion investment in the coin. Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to money-laundering and served four months in prison, while Binance paid a $4.3 billion penalty. The White House, nevertheless, said Trump “exercised his constitutional authority” and declared, “The Biden Administration’s war on crypto is over.” (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / New York Times / New Republic)

  • Meteora executives were accused of running a “pump-and-dump” scheme tied to Melania Trump’s $MELANIA coin, which spiked to $13.73 before crashing to 10 cents. Investors said the defendants used her name as “window dressing” while secretly buying and reselling the coin for profit. Melania Trump wasn’t named in the lawsuit. (The Guardian)

8/ Russia denounced Trump’s sanctions on its top oil companies, calling them “an unfriendly act” and warning that they would damage U.S.-Russia relations. Putin said the penalties on Rosneft and Lukoil were “serious,” but claimed they wouldn’t “significantly impact our economic well-being.” Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, called the move “an act of war,” while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had built “strong immunity” to Western pressure. The Trump administration imposed the sanctions after canceling a planned summit with Putin and demanding an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. (NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / Wall Street Journal / CNBC)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 23 days; the 2026 midterms are in 376 days.

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/23/day-1738/

Day 1737: "Tyranny has already arrived."

22/10/25 12:49
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/22/day-1737/

Day 1737

Today in one sentence: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the House in federal court to force Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva; Trump told Republicans to “hold the line” on the government shutdown, saying “We will not be extorted” and that he would meet Democratic leaders “only” after they vote to reopen the government; 59% of Americans say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about rising health care costs in the next year; Sen. Jeff Merkley spoke for more than 18 hours on the Senate floor, accusing Trump of “shredding our Constitution” and acting as an authoritarian; North Carolina’s Republican Legislature approved a new U.S. House map designed to add one Republican seat; the U.S. military carried out its eighth strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel; Trump will host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in November; the White House began demolishing the entire East Wing for Trump’s planned ballroom before submitting construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission; and 62% of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction.

1/ Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the House in federal court to force Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won a Sept. 23 special election. The filing claims Johnson lacks authority to delay and asked a judge to let “any person authorized by law” administer the oath if he refuses. Johnson called the suit “patently absurd,” said “We run the House,” and argued he was following a “Pelosi precedent” to wait until regular session or the shutdown ends. Democrats said Johnson has delayed swearing-in Grijalva to block the 218th signature needed for a discharge petition to release Jeffrey Epstein files. (NBC News / Washington Post / CNN / CBS News)

2/ Trump told Republicans to “hold the line” on the government shutdown, saying “We will not be extorted” and that he would meet Democratic leaders “only” after they vote to reopen the government. Democrats have tied reopening the government to extending enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, while Republicans insist that talks can only happen after voting to fund the government. The nonpartisan health policy group KFF estimates that premiums will rise 18% on average, with the typical marketplace consumer paying $1,904 next year, up from $888. Meanwhile, 13 vulnerable House Republicans urged Speaker Mike Johnson to address the credits “immediately” after reopening. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said public pressure would make it “readily apparent” why Congress must extend the credits now. (NPR / The Hill / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

  • poll/ 59% of Americans say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about rising health care costs in the next year. About 4 in 10 are worried they won’t be able to afford needed care, access services, or keep their insurance. 80% say health care is “extremely” or “very” important to them personally, placing it alongside the economy as a top national concern. (Associated Press)

3/ ✨ Well, that’s fantastic: Sen. Jeff Merkley spoke for more than 18 hours on the Senate floor, accusing Trump of “shredding our Constitution” and acting as an authoritarian. The Oregon Democrat said “tyranny has already arrived” as he protested Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Portland and Chicago and the indictments of Trump’s political opponents. The speech came on day 22 of the government shutdown. Republicans dismissed the marathon speech as political theater. (The Guardian / CNN / Associated Press / Reuters / NBC News)

4/ North Carolina’s Republican Legislature approved a new U.S. House map designed to add one Republican seat, with the House voting 66-48 a day after the Senate passed it. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein can’t veto redistricting, and the map will take effect for the 2026 elections. Trump, meanwhile, praised the “improved” map and said it would “give the fantastic people of North Carolina the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican.” (Associated Press / NPR / Politico / NBC News)

5/ The U.S. military carried out its eighth strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel, hitting a boat off Colombia in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed two people were killed and claimed the vessel was operated by a “designated terrorist organization” carrying narcotics. He offered no evidence beyond a video showing the vessel engulfed in flames. The attack, ordered by Trump, expands a campaign that has killed at least 34 people since Sept. 2. (New York Times / Reuters / CBS News)

6/ Trump will host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in November. It will be the crown prince’s first U.S. visit since the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA concluded he likely ordered. Officials said the trip could produce a defense cooperation deal enacted by executive order, along with agreements on trade, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, and security. (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Semafor)

7/ The White House began demolishing the entire East Wing for Trump’s planned ballroom before submitting construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission. A senior administration official said the tear-down should be finished this weekend and that full demolition was “cheaper and more structurally sound” than building an addition. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, meanwhile, warned that the 90,000-square-foot project “will overwhelm the White House itself” and must undergo “legally required” public review. The White House dismissed objections as “manufactured outrage” and said it would submit construction plans “soon.” (The Guardian / New York Times / CBS News / Reuters / Washington Post)

poll/ 62% of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction, including 92% of Democrats, 71% of independents, and 24% of Republicans. 65% say the economy and the federal government’s functioning are going in the wrong direction, and 60% say the same about U.S. foreign policy. 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, including two-thirds of independents. (PPRI)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 22 days; the 2026 midterms are in 377 days.

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/22/day-1737/

Day 1736: "It sort of looks bad."

21/10/25 15:53
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/21/day-1736/

Day 1736

Today in one sentence: A man pardoned by Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel “is not going to pass” following reports that Paul Ingrassia sent text messages that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and admitted he has “a Nazi streak”; Trump demanded that the Justice Department he now oversees pay him about $230 million for federal investigations into him, including probes of Russian election interference and the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search; Republican lawmakers in North Carolina approved a new congressional map designed to give the Republicans an additional U.S. House seat; Republican farm-state senators and major rancher groups called Trump’s idea to import more Argentine beef to lower U.S. prices a “betrayal of America first principles”; White House said there are “no plans” for Trump to meet Putin “in the immediate future”; and the Treasury Department told employees not to share photos of the White House East Wing demolition or construction on Trump’s ballroom.

1/ A man pardoned by Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Authorities said Christopher Moynihan sent text messages stating, “I cannot allow this terrorist to live” and “I will kill him for the future,” referring to an event Jeffries was scheduled to attend in New York City. Police said the FBI received an anonymous tip warning of Moynihan’s “homicidal ideations” and drug abuse before his arrest. Jeffries called Moynihan “a dangerous individual” and blamed Trump’s “reckless blanket pardon” for forcing police “to keep our communities safe from violent individuals who should never have been pardoned.” Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, called the threat “terrible” but repeated that “violence on the left is far more prevalent than the violence on the right,” even though federal and academic data show right-wing violence has been more frequent and more lethal since 2001. (Politico / New York Times / NPR / Associated Press / CNBC / Axios / Washington Post / Reuters / NBC News / CNN)

2/ Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel “is not going to pass” following reports that Paul Ingrassia sent text messages that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and admitted he has “a Nazi streak.” Thune suggested that the White House should withdraw him with Republican Sens. Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, and James Lankford saying they would vote no, short of the votes needed to advance. Ingrassia’s attorney, meanwhile, questioned the messages’ authenticity and called them “self-deprecating and satirical humor.” (NBC News / Semafor / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Axios / New York Times / Associated Press)

  • The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions plans to hold a confirmation hearing next Thursday for Trump’s nominee for surgeon general. Trump said he nominated Casey Means in May after withdrawing his first pick, Janette Nesheiwat, because “Bobby thought she was fantastic,” referring to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While Means earned an MD from Stanford, she dropped out of her residency after becoming “disillusioned” with the health care system and instead persued a career as a “wellness influencer.” (Bloomberg / ABC News)

3/ Trump demanded that the Justice Department he now oversees pay him about $230 million for federal investigations into him, including probes of Russian election interference and the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search. Trump claimed he “was damaged very greatly” by “malicious prosecution” and that “any money I would get, I would give to charity.” The claims are being reviewed by department officials who previously served as his defense lawyers, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “I’m sort of suing myself,” Trump said, adding that “it sort of looks bad” because approving the payout “would have to go across my desk.” (New York Times)

  • Trump fired the inspector general of the Export-Import Bank, making Parisa Salehi the latest of roughly two dozen watchdogs he has dismissed or sidelined. Senator Charles Grassley said Trump “hasn’t told Congress he was firing the Ex-Im Inspector General,” calling the move a violation of federal law. (New York Times)

4/ Republican lawmakers in North Carolina approved a new congressional map designed to give the Republicans an additional U.S. House seat. The plan would likely give Republicans control of 11 of the state’s 14 seats. Democrats called the move “beyond the pale” and said it dismantled Black communities for partisan gain. The state House is expected to approve the map later this week, and Governor Josh Stein cannot veto redistricting, leaving legal challenges as the only recourse. (Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / CNN / Democracy Docket)

5/ Republican farm-state senators and major rancher groups called Trump’s idea to import more Argentine beef to lower U.S. prices a “betrayal of America first principles,” warning it would hurt producers. “Bottom line: if the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way,” Sen. Deb Fischer said. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the goal is to cut grocery costs, while ranch groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the plan “does nothing to lower prices.” Argentina supplies about 2% of U.S. beef imports. Trump defended the idea, saying, “We would buy some beef from Argentina […] that will bring our beef prices down,” and argued, “Argentina is fighting for its life.” (Politico / Associated Press / CNBC / New York Times / Bloomberg)

6/ The White House said there are “no plans” for Trump to meet Putin “in the immediate future,” reversing last week’s announcement of a Budapest summit would happen “within two weeks or so.” Trump said he didn’t want “a wasted meeting” and would “see what happens.” White House claimed that a “productive” call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made an in-person meeting “not necessary.” The Kremlin, however, said “you can’t postpone what was not scheduled” and called for “serious preparation.” (ABC News / Politico / Bloomberg / Axios / CNN / Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times)

7/ The Treasury Department told employees not to share photos of the White House East Wing demolition or construction on Trump’s ballroom. A Treasury spokesman said photos could “potentially reveal sensitive items, including security features or confidential structural details.” Demolition started Monday, and the White House has said the new ballroom will be about 90,000 square feet with seating for more than 650 and funded by private donors. (Wall Street Journal)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 21 days; the 2026 midterms are in 378 days.

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/21/day-1736/

Day 1735: "Built different."

20/10/25 15:50
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/20/day-1735/

Day 1735

Today in one sentence: A divided federal appeals court ruled that Trump can deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon; James Comey asked a federal judge to dismiss his indictment, claiming Trump ordered the prosecution “because of personal animus” and that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was "defectively appointed"; Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to concede the Donbas region to Russia because “Putin will destroy you if you don’t agree now”; Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a White House “framework” to secure U.S. supplies of rare earth minerals and reduce reliance on China; nearly 7 million people joined “No Kings” protests across all 50 states on Saturday to oppose Trump’s policies and what organizers called his “authoritarian rule”; the White House began demolishing part of the East Wing to build Trump’s $250 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission; and 47% of Americans say they are “not very” or “not at all confident” they could find a good job if they wanted to.

1/ A divided federal appeals court ruled that Trump can deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, overturning a lower court order that had blocked the move. The 9th Circuit’s 2–1 decision, written by Trump appointee Judge Bridget Bade and joined by Judge Ryan Nelson, said Trump “lawfully exercised his statutory authority” to send troops after protests at a federal immigration facility. Both judges said that “even if the President may exaggerate the extent of the problem on social media,” other facts provided “a colorable basis” for his decision. Dissenting Judge Susan Graber called the ruling “not merely absurd,” but a threat to “sovereign States’ control over their militias” and First Amendment rights. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the state would ask the full 9th Circuit to overturn the decision, warning that it would give Trump “unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification.” (Politico / NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / Axios / Washington Post / New York Times / CBS News / Reuters)

  • Trump asked the Supreme Court to lift lower-court orders blocking his plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago to guard ICE facilities during mass deportation operations. The Justice Department claimed that the troops were needed to “prevent ongoing and intolerable risks to the lives and safety” of federal agents and argued the lower courts “imping[e] on the President’s authority.” The 7th Circuit, however, said “political opposition is not rebellion” and protests didn’t amount to insurrection. (New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / Axios / NBC News / Associated Press / Politico)

2/ James Comey asked a federal judge to dismiss his indictment, claiming Trump ordered the prosecution “because of personal animus” and that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was “defectively appointed.” Comey’s lawyers said the case was an “egregious abuse of power” and that “no properly appointed executive branch official” brought the charges. Prosecutors, meanwhile, said Comey’s attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, may have a conflict because he allegedly helped “improperly disclose classified information,” a claim Fitzgerald called “demonstrably false,” saying, “There was no ‘leaking’ […] Full stop.” U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff scheduled a Nov. 19 hearing on the motions to dismiss. (Politico / Washington Post / NBC News / Bloomberg / CBS News)

3/ Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to concede the Donbas region to Russia because “Putin will destroy you if you don’t agree now.” Trump had suggested he might send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles, but after a call with Putin, he backed away from the idea. At the White House meeting the next day, Trump urged both sides to “stop where they are” and said, “Let both claim victory, let history decide.” Zelensky called Trump’s message “mixed” and rejected giving up land Russia hasn’t captured, saying Ukraine’s position “remains unchanged.” European leaders, meanwhile, condemned any pressure on Kyiv to cede territory, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warning: “Appeasement never was a road to a just and lasting peace.” (Politico / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / The Hill / Associated Press / Axios / New York Times / The Guardian)

4/ Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a White House “framework” to secure U.S. supplies of rare earth minerals and reduce reliance on China. The White House said the two governments would invest “more than $3 billion” in projects over the next six months, while Albanese said the overall plan could reach about $8.5 billion in future projects. The agreement is designed to fast-track mining and processing in both countries to support defense and technology manufacturing. Trump tied the deal to rising tensions with Beijing, saying, “I threaten them with tariffs,” and confirmed plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. During the meeting, Trump confronted Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd over past remarks in which Rudd called him “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West.” Trump told him, “I don’t like you either, and I probably never will.” (Politico / NBC News / New York Times / CNBC / The Hill / Washington Post / CBS News)

poll/ 47% of Americans say they are “not very” or “not at all confident” they could find a good job if they wanted to – up from 37% in October 2023. 68% describe the U.S. economy as “poor,” while 32% say it is “good.” 54% call grocery costs a “major source” of stress, 40% say the same about housing and health care, and 36% cite electricity bills. 12% say their family finances are “getting ahead,” compared with 28% who say they are “falling behind.” (Associated Press)

  • Two-thirds of the $1.2 trillion in new business costs from Trump’s tariffs are falling on U.S. consumers, leaving households paying about $2,400 more a year. (The Guardian)

  • Trump said the U.S. may buy Argentine beef to “bring our beef prices down,” but gave no details on when or how the plan would work. The proposal comes as prices stay high from drought and reduced Mexican imports. (Associated Press)

  • U.S. GDP growth in the first half of 2025 would have been just 0.1% without AI data center investment. Tech spending made up only 4% of GDP but drove 92% of total growth. (Yahoo! Finance)

✨Well, that’s fantastic. Nearly 7 million people joined “No Kings” protests across all 50 states on Saturday to oppose Trump’s policies and what organizers called his “authoritarian rule.” The demonstrations, held at more than 2,700 sites, were among the largest in U.S. history and surpassed the first “No Kings” protest in June by roughly 2 million people. It’s the biggest single-day protest since the first Earth Day in 1970. The events remained largely peaceful, with no major violence or arrests reported in most cities. Trump, meanwhile, dismissed the protests as “a joke” and “not representative of this country,” then posted an AI-generated video of himself wearing a crown and flying a jet labeled “King Trump” while dumping brown sludge on Americans exercising their First Amendment rights. The White House followed with an image of Trump and JD Vance in crowns captioned: “We’re built different.” House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump’s posts as “satire” and said Trump “uses social media to make a point,” while other Republicans called the events “hate America rallies.” Organizers said the record turnout showed “a fierce love for our country” and opposition to “one man’s power grab.” (NPR / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / CBS News / Rolling Stone / New York Times / NBC News / Axios / NBC News / The Guardian / Mother Jones / HuffPost / 404 Media / USA Today)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 20 days; the 2026 midterms are in 379 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. The U.S. sent two survivors of its sixth known strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean back to Colombia and Ecuador for prosecution. Trump said the “surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin […] for detention and prosecution,” claiming intelligence “confirmed” the vessel carried “mostly fentanyl,” but offered no evidence. (Reuters / Washington Post / CNN / New York Times)

  2. Trump said the U.S. will end aid and impose new tariffs on Colombia after President Gustavo Petro accused American forces of killing a Colombian fisherman in a September boat strike. He called Petro “an illegal drug leader” and declared, “AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS […] WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later announced a seventh U.S. strike, claiming a boat carried “substantial amounts of narcotics,” but offered no evidence. (New York Times / Axios / BBC / Associated Press)

  3. Trump commuted George Santos’s seven-year federal fraud sentence and ordered his release after less than three months in prison. Trump called Santos “somewhat of a ‘rogue’” and said, “I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY.” Santos pleaded guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and identity theft for stealing donor funds, charging supporters’ credit cards, falsifying campaign finance reports, lying about his assets, and illegally collecting unemployment benefits. (NBC News / Washington Post / NPR / Associated Press / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)

  4. Trump appointed a former “Stop the Steal” lawyer who tried to overturn the 2020 election to “investigate” that same election from inside the White House. Kurt Olsen now has government authority to pursue voter-fraud claims he previously pushed in court and has begun requesting intelligence on voting machines while discussing the removal of officials he considers disloyal. (Wall Street Journal)

  5. The Department of Homeland Security approved spending up to $200 million on two Gulfstream G700 jets for Secretary Kristi Noem and other top officials, quadrupling the Coast Guard’s original $50 million request for one plane. DHS called the purchase a “matter of safety,” though the contract included “specialized paint” and “cabin enhancements.” (Washington Post / New York Times)

  6. Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel sent text messages that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and admitted he has “a Nazi streak.” The messages also show Paul Ingrassia calling for the elimination of Black holidays, saying “we need competent white men in positions of leadership.” His lawyer claimed the texts were “satirical” or possibly doctored, but senators have already delayed his confirmation hearing over the remarks. (Politico)

  7. The White House began demolishing part of the East Wing to build Trump’s $250 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. Trump said the work “just started today,” contradicting earlier assurances that it wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing building. Officials, however, now confirm the ballroom will replace the East Wing and say it will seat up to 999 guests when finished before January 2029. (Associated Press / Washington Post / The Hill / New York Times)

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/20/day-1735/

Day 1731: "Profoundly concerned."

16/10/25 15:46
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/16/day-1731/

Day 1731

Today in one sentence: A federal judge in Chicago ordered ICE agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz to wear body cameras during encounters with protesters; former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecutions of Trump, calling Republican allegations of political bias “ludicrous”; Trump urged that “they” investigate “Deranged Jack Smith,” calling him a “criminal,” as Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel stood beside him; former national security adviser John Bolton was indicted on 18 counts of mishandling classified information; the Trump administration is preparing to remake the IRS to make it easier to investigate left-leaning groups and Democratic donors; the Senate failed for the 10th time to pass the House stopgap bill to reopen the government; the White House claimed it’s “winning” the government shutdown, citing internal polling that shows Democrats losing support; and 58% of Americans say Trump and Republicans have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the government shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats.

1/ A federal judge in Chicago ordered ICE agents involved in Operation Midway Blitz to wear body cameras during encounters with protesters, saying she was “profoundly concerned” agents ignored her prior limits on force. Judge Sara Ellis expanded last week’s restraining order that banned targeting journalists and peaceful protesters with tear gas and “less-lethal” munitions, and ordered ICE Chicago Field Director Russell Hott to appear in court. The Justice Department said widespread recording “would require a tremendous amount of resources,” and argued media reports were “one-sided and selectively edited.” Ellis, however, replied: “Don’t violate the Constitution, and we never have to pull any video from anybody, ever.” In a separate ruling, the Seventh Circuit kept in place a block on Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops in Illinois for now. (Axios / CNN / The Verge / New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times)

  • More than 170 U.S. citizens have been detained by federal immigration agents during Trump’s second term, including dozens held for days without being allowed to call family or lawyers. The Department of Homeland Security denied targeting Americans, saying, “We don’t arrest US citizens for immigration enforcement,” even as videos and court filings show citizens beaten, tased, and pepper-sprayed during raids and protests. (ProPublica)

  • Border Patrol deleted a propaganda-style video that used a Michael Jackson song with an antisemitic slur after it drew millions of views and support from extremist accounts. The agency offered no real explanation beyond, “We deleted the post and will update with different music,” dismissing questions about why the unedited lyrics were used. (Axios / Mother Jones)

  • The U.S. military commander leading Trump’s strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean will step down at year’s end. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Adm. Alvin Holsey, head of U.S. Southern Command, would retire less than a year into his assignment, offering no explanation. Holsey’s departure follows five lethal U.S. strikes off Venezuela that killed 27 people and renewed congressional scrutiny of Trump’s claim that the U.S. is in a “noninternational armed conflict” with cartels. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post)

2/ Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecutions of Trump, calling Republican allegations of political bias “ludicrous.” Smith criticized the Trump Justice Department’s prosecutions of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, saying such actions “reek of lack of process.” He warned that the administration’s firings of career prosecutors would have an “incalculable” cost to the country and said, “Nothing like what we see now has ever gone on.” Hours after the interview was released, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan demanded that Smith testify by Oct. 28 and provide all records from his tenure, accusing him of “partisan and politically motivated prosecutions” and “abusive surveillance.” Smith dropped both federal cases against Trump after his 2024 election win, citing Justice Department policy barring the prosecution of a sitting president. (New York Times / CNN / Associated Press / The Guardian / NBC News / ABC News / Axios / New York Times / The Hill)

3/ Trump urged that “they” investigate “Deranged Jack Smith,” calling him a “criminal,” as Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel stood beside him. He added, “I hope they’re going to look into [Andrew] Weissmann too,” and said former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco “should be looked at very strongly,” before asserting, “I’m, in theory, the chief law enforcement officer.” The Justice Department, at Trump’s direction, recently indicted former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, even as Bondi and Blanche warned there was insufficient evidence to convict. (Democracy Docket / Talking Points Memo / New York Times)

4/ Former national security adviser John Bolton was indicted on 18 counts of mishandling classified information, including eight counts of transmitting, and ten counts of retaining national defense material. Prosecutors said Bolton “abused his position” by sharing more than a thousand pages of Top Secret information with two relatives through personal accounts from 2018 to 2025. The charges follow Trump’s repeated public calls for Bolton to be prosecuted, including statements that Bolton “should go to jail” and a 2020 demand that he be charged over his book. Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said the case involves “personal diaries” that were “unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021.” (Bloomberg / Associated Press / ABC News / CNN / Reuters / NBC News / CNBC)

5/ The Trump administration is preparing to remake the IRS to make it easier to investigate left-leaning groups and Democratic donors. The plan would install Trump allies in the IRS Criminal Investigation unit and limit the role of agency lawyers in reviewing cases. Senior IRS adviser Gary Shapley said he plans to replace the unit’s chief and has already drafted “a list of donors and groups” for investigation. Trump, meanwhile, ordered acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent to identify “financial networks” he claims fund left-wing violence, saying, “Scott will do that. That’s easy for Scott.” (Wall Street Journal / New Republic / The Hill / Mediaite / New York Times)

  • Trump hosted an East Room dinner for corporate and wealthy donors funding his new White House ballroom. He said the project, estimated at $200–$250 million, was “fully taken care of” and that some offered “$25 million,” with donations routed through the Trust for the National Mall, including $22 million from YouTube as part of a settlement. Ethics experts warned that the push risks coercion and conflicts for companies with federal business, saying firms that “don’t show or don’t give” could be “out of favor.” (Wall Street Journal / The Hill / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Axios)

6/ The Senate failed for the 10th time to pass the House stopgap bill to reopen the government, ensuring that the shutdown will extend into next week with senators out until Monday. Senate Democrats also blocked a $852 billion defense spending bill in a 50-44 vote that fell short of the 60 needed to proceed. “Another week has passed, and the Trump shutdown drags on,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, while Majority Leader John Thune said, “There’s an offramp here: It’s just to fund the government.” Thune also offered Democrats a floor vote on Affordable Care Act subsidies after reopening, saying they should “take yes for an answer.” (CNBC / Politico / Washington Post)

7/ The White House claimed it’s “winning” the government shutdown, citing internal polling that shows Democrats losing support. Internal data show Democrats’ net favorability dropped to -21%, while Republicans improved to -8%. Blame for the shutdown narrowed to a 6-point gap with 44% faulting Trump and the Republicans, and 38% blaming the Democrats – down from a 13-point lead for Democrats two weeks ago. “Time is on our side,” one senior official said, saying “they will lose this” because “the people who know the most about the shutdown know that the Democrats aren’t voting for the clean CR.” The administration began firing furloughed federal workers, warning that “if the Senate Democrats want the RIFs to end, they can end the shutdown. It’s that simple.” (Axios)

  • The Justice Department stopped responding to Congress about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation after the shutdown began, leaving House Oversight Democrats without new documents since August. Rep. Robert Garcia said the Justice Department has “failed to provide any substantive or insightful information,” while the agency blamed the Democrats for the government shutdown. (Politico)

poll/ 58% of Americans say Trump and Republicans have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the government shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats. 54% call the shutdown a “major problem,” and 89% say it’s at least a minor problem. 43% favor extending Affordable Care Act tax credits. Only 4% say they have “a great deal” of confidence in Congress, while about half have “hardly any.” (Associated Press / AP-NORC)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 16 days; “No Kings Day” is Oct. 18; the 2026 midterms are in 383 days.

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/16/day-1731/

Day 1730: "It’s getting really ugly."

15/10/25 15:04
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/15/day-1730/

Day 1730

Today in one sentence: The Senate failed to pass funding bill for the ninth time as the shutdown entered its third week; a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing more than 4,000 federal workers during the government shutdown; the Trump administration blamed the ongoing government shutdown on Saturday’s “No Kings” protests; the Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared ready to limit the Voting Rights Act; Trump authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela; House Speaker Mike Johnson called Portland’s naked bike protest “the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet”; and JD Vance brushed off the leaked Young Republican chats that praised Hitler and used racist and violent language, saying “kids do stupid things."

1/ The Senate failed to pass funding bill for the ninth time as the shutdown entered its third week. Republicans continue to push for a “clean” continuing resolution to reopen the government until at least Nov. 21, while Democrats insist that any deal extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. (Politico / CNBC / The Guardian)

2/ A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing more than 4,000 federal workers during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the administration had “taken advantage of the lapse in government spending […] to assume that all bets are off, the laws don’t apply to them anymore,” calling its actions “contrary to the laws.” She added that the government’s approach was “ready, fire, aim” and carried “a human cost that cannot be tolerated.” The order takes effect immediately and bars the government from issuing new layoff notices or enforcing ongoing ones while the case continues. Before the ruling, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said layoffs could grow “north of 10,000.” (NBC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / Politico / NPR / New York Times / Axios / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / CNBC)

3/ The Trump administration blamed the ongoing government shutdown on Saturday’s “No Kings” protests, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, “No Kings equals no paychecks.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson claimed Democrats “are controlled by their radical left base,” and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett suggested the government could reopen “on the 19th.” Despite Republicans controlling Congress and the White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson kept the House out of session and said he “wouldn’t negotiate.” Organizers, however, announced the Oct. 18 protest date in Sept., before the Oct. 1 shutdown. Saturday’s nonviolent marches and rallies, planned in more than 2,500 locations nationwide, are expected to be the largest single day of protest in U.S. history – larger than the first “No Kings” rallies in June, which drew over five million people. (Axios / The Hill / NBC News / Media Matters for America / Time)

4/ The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared ready to limit the Voting Rights Act, questioning whether any use of race in drawing election maps is constitutional. During arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, several justices, including Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts, questioned whether race-based remedies under Section 2 of the 1965 law should continue indefinitely. Since the Court ended federal preclearance in 2013, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has been the main legal basis for challenging racial bias in maps and for creating majority-minority districts across the South. Louisiana and the Trump administration nevertheless argued that creating a second majority-Black congressional district in the state violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause, while civil rights lawyers warned that the law remains necessary to prevent vote dilution. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the administration’s stance would “just get rid of Section 2,” which would shift power over voting maps to state legislatures and weaken one of the last federal checks on racial bias in elections. (Associated Press / New York Times / Politico / NPR / Washington Post / ABC News / NBC News)

5/ Trump authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, giving the agency authority to carry out lethal operations against Nicolás Maduro’s government. The order follows at least five U.S. strikes on boats the Trump administration said were smuggling drugs from Venezuela, killing 27 people, including one strike that hit a Colombian vessel. Lawmakers from both parties said they have received little information about the intelligence, targets, or legal basis for the attacks. (New York Times / NBC News / CNN)

6/ House Speaker Mike Johnson called Portland’s naked bike protest “the most threatening thing I’ve seen yet,” saying the riders showed “abuse of law enforcement by radical leftist activists.” Johnson argued that the protest of nude cyclists reflected how “it’s getting really ugly.” The event drew over a thousand participants and was described by local outlets as peaceful, with no arrests reported. The protest was organized against Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which is currently blocked by a federal restraining order. (The Oregonian / KGW-TV / Axios / Portland Tribune)

  • Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency over ICE raids, authorizing about $30 million in rent relief, legal aid, and a possible eviction moratorium. Officials cited families skipping work and lost income tied to ICE actions. (Los Angeles Times / New York Times / ABC News)

7/ JD Vance brushed off the leaked Young Republican chats that praised Hitler and used racist and violent language, calling the reaction “pearl clutching.” Rather than condemn the messages, Vance said they were “edgy, offensive jokes” and that “kids do stupid things, especially young boys.” Vance deflected to an unrelated controversy, saying that Democratic candidate Jay Jones’s 2022 texts about shooting a Republican rival were “far worse than anything said in a college group chat.” The Young Republican National Federation, meanwhile, said it was “appalled” and demanded that all involved “immediately resign.” (Politico / Axios / Politico / The Hill / Mediaite / Salon)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 15 days; “No Kings Day” is Oct. 18; the 2026 midterms are in 384 days.

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/15/day-1730/

Day 1729: "Common sense."

14/10/25 16:13
[syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/10/14/day-1729/

Day 1729

Today in one sentence: Trump threatened to permanently cut more “Democrat programs” as the government shutdown entered its third week; North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders will vote next week to redraw the state’s U.S. House map to add a Republican-leaning seat; the Supreme Court will rehear a major voting rights case that could limit how race is used in drawing election maps; the U.S. military killed six more people in a strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela; nearly every major U.S. news outlet refused to sign the Pentagon’s new press access policy, saying it “undermines the First Amendment”; Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would likely cut rates again this month as job growth continued to slow and key data remained unavailable during the shutdown; and Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1/ Trump threatened to permanently cut more “Democrat programs” as the government shutdown entered its third week, promising to name the “most egregious, socialist, semi-communist” programs for elimination on Friday. He said Democrats are “getting killed” and that the targets would “never going to open again.” Speaker Mike Johnson backed Trump and dared Democrats to “bring it” and challenge the moves in court. Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, breaking with her party, called House Republicans “weak men” who mishandled the shutdown and were “afraid of strong Republican women.” She said Johnson and other Republican leaders had sidelined conservative women while “rewarding” men who refuse to challenge the leadership. The Office of Management and Budget said it would “batten down the hatches,” continue layoffs, and keep paying troops and law enforcement. (New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico / The Hill / Washington Post / Axios / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Associated Press)

2/ North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders will vote next week to redraw the state’s U.S. House map to add a Republican-leaning seat. State House Speaker Destin Hall said, “President Trump earned a clear mandate […] and we intend to defend it by drawing an additional Republican Congressional seat.” Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats. The move follows Texas’s passage of a map adding five Republican-leaning seats and California’s pending voter referendum on a Democratic-favored map, while Missouri’s revised map intended to help Republicans pick up an additional seat faces court challenges. (Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times / NBC News / The Hill / Democracy Docket)

3/ The Supreme Court will rehear a major voting rights case that could limit how race is used in drawing election maps. The case, Louisiana v. Callais, asks whether Louisiana violated the 14th and 15th Amendments by creating a second majority-Black district to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana and the Trump administration argued that “race-based redistricting is fundamentally contrary to our Constitution” and claimed Section 2 of the law has become “electoral race-based affirmative action.” Courts had earlier ruled that Louisiana’s original map diluted the power of Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act and ordered lawmakers to draw a second majority-Black district. A federal court later blocked that new map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. (CNN / Washington Post / Bloomberg / New York Times / Associated Press / CBS News)

  • 🔎 What’s at Stake? If the Supreme Court weakens Section 2, the main federal check on maps that dilute minority votes would be rolled back. States could then stop drawing or preserving majority-Black and Latino districts, allowing legislatures to split those communities up, and reduce their ability to elect preferred candidates while leaving fewer federal tools to police racially biased maps.

4/ The U.S. military killed six more people in a strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela – the fifth such operation since September. Trump claimed that the vessel was “affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization” and “intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics.” He said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the “lethal kinetic strike” in international waters and that no U.S. troops were harmed. Despite having killed at least 27 people so far, the Trump administration hasn’t provided evidence that the boats were carrying drugs or linked to terrorist groups. (The Hill / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / The Guardian / Bloomberg / Associated Press / ABC News / CNN / Washington Post)

5/ Nearly every major U.S. news outlet refused to sign the Pentagon’s new press access policy, saying it “undermines the First Amendment.” The Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC, Reuters, the Associated Press, and Newsmax (!) said the rules would restrict their ability to report freely on the U.S. military. The 21-page policy requires journalists to acknowledge that they won’t seek or publish information not approved by the Defense Department, including unclassified material, or risk losing credentials. “The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections,” the five major broadcast networks said in a joint statement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, meanwhile, defended the rules as “common sense” and posted a hand-waving emoji to several outlets on Twitter/X after their refusals. Only One America News said it had signed. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / NBC News / CNN / The Hill / New York Times / CBS News / Axios / Associated Press)

6/ Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would likely cut rates again this month as job growth continued to slow and key data remained unavailable during the shutdown. “There is no risk-free path for policy,” Powell said, admitting that the Fed “won’t be able to replace the data we’re not getting.” The International Monetary Fund, meanwhile, said Trump’s tariffs were weighing on global growth, warning of “increasing signs that the adverse effects of protectionist measures are starting to show.” (CNN / Wall Street Journal / Axios / New York Times / Bloomberg)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 14 days; “No Kings Day” is Oct. 18; the 2026 midterms are in 385 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been the activist’s 32nd birthday, calling him a “fearless warrior for liberty” and “martyr for freedom.” The ceremony came a month after Kirk was fatally shot at a Utah college. Erika Kirk accepted the medal on behalf of her husband, saying the honor was “the best birthday gift he could ever have.” (Axios / Associated Press / CBS News)

  2. The State Department revoked visas for six foreigners accused of mocking or celebrating the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying the U.S. “has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that “If you are here on a visa and cheering on the public assassination of a political figure, prepare to be deported.” (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal)

  3. Leaked group messages showed Young Republican leaders across several states using racist, antisemitic, and violent language, including “I love Hitler” and “everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber.” The 2,900 pages of Telegram chats spanning more than seven months showed Young Republicans joking about rape, slavery, and the Holocaust while referring to Black people with racial slurs and mocking women and LGBTQ people. Some of the leaked messages also echoed Charlie Kirk’s past rhetoric, including a comment about a dark-skinned pilot that closely resembled Kirk’s own remark questioning the qualifications of Black pilots. (Politico / New Republic)

  4. House Republican leaders called Saturday’s planned “No Kings” protests a “hate America” rally and linked them to “antifa.” Tom Emmer said protesters “do not love this country,” and Mike Johnson called them “the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people,” while Steve Scalise tied the demonstrations to Senate Democrats during the shutdown. Organizers have promoted nonviolent action at events planned in about 2,000 locations and urged participants to “seek to de-escalate” and to not bring weapons. (The Hill / New Republic)

  5. Trump attacked Time magazine for using what he called “the Worst of All Time” photo on its cover featuring his Gaza peace deal. He claimed editors “disappeared” his hair and made it look like a “floating crown,” saying the image “deserves to be called out.” Russia, meanwhile, also condemned the photo, calling the editors “unhealthy” and “freaks.” (Washington Post / Politico / Axios / The Hill)

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