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October 14, 2025
U.S. consumers bearing more than half the cost of tariffs so far, Goldman Sachs says
(NBC News) Six months into President Donald Trump’s unprecedented gambit to impose sizable tariffs on imports, U.S. consumers are already shouldering as much as 55% of their costs, according to a new report from Goldman Sachs analysts. And with new tariffs likely on the way, the cost burden could rise even higher, they said. The findings, released Sunday, suggest U.S. consumers will continue to struggle with high prices — something Trump had promised to address in the run-up to his re-election.
Go to discussionGovernment shutdown could be the longest ever, House Speaker Johnson warns
(AP) Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Monday the federal government shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he “won’t negotiate” with Democrats until they hit pause on their health care demands and reopen. Standing alone at the Capitol on the 13th day of the shutdown, the speaker said he was unaware of the details of the thousands of federal workers being fired by the Trump administration. It’s a highly unusual mass layoff widely seen as way to seize on the shutdown to reduce the scope of government.
Go to discussionIndonesian president asks Trump for meeting with son Eric in 'hot mic' moment
(Reuters) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto asked U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday if he could meet with Trump's son Eric, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, according to comments by the leaders picked up by a microphone after Trump had addressed a Gaza-focused summit in Egypt. ... Trump and Prabowo, who were also seen on video, appeared to be unaware that a live microphone was recording their conversation.
Go to discussionSupreme Court rejects Alex Jones' appeal of $1.4 billion defamation judgment in Sandy Hook shooting
(AP) The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4 billion judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors. The Infowars host had argued that a judge was wrong to find him liable for defamation and infliction of emotional distress without holding a trial on the merits of allegations lodged by relatives of victims of the shooting, which killed 20 first graders and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut.
Go to discussionCody Balmer, who set fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro's mansion, pleads guilty
(Philadelphia Inquirer) Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting the governor’s mansion ablaze in an attempt on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s life this spring, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and related crimes on Tuesday morning and was sentenced to 25 to 50 in prison. Balmer, 38, admitted his guilt in the overnight attack on Shapiro’s official residence just hours after the governor and his family had celebrated Passover there. Police said Balmer walked for more than an hour from his Harrisburg home to the downtown estate around 2 a.m., scaled a fence and lit several fires using incendiary devices before fleeing the property undetected by security.
Go to discussionDonald Trump's new "American Midnight" is upon us
(Salon) These days, time often feels like a flat circle, where the past, present and future are collapsing into a disorienting blur as President Donald Trump and his supporters escalate the collapse of our civil society, institutions, norms and democracy. Many are framing this moment of political vertigo as a new Red Scare, a 21st-century McCarthyism. But this is only partly true.
Go to discussionMAGA rage at "No Kings" boils over - and it quickly backfires on Trump
(New Republic) President Trump’s allies are suddenly raging over the October 18 No Kings protests. MAGA Mike Johnson and MAGA-fied Representative Steve Scalise are angrily sliming expected attendees as America-haters, antifa, Marxists, and terrorists. MAGA influencers and other GOP figures have done the same, with one hinting that the National Guard should crack down on them. This unanimity of messaging about “terrorists” means it’s all almost certainly being coordinated by Stephen Miller. Yet it’s backfiring: Democrats and rally organizers are using it to galvanize attendance, which will likely succeed.
Go to discussionLetitia James campaigns for Zohran Mamdani in her first public appearance since federal indictment
(NBC News) New York Attorney General Letitia James delivered an impassioned speech Monday night in support of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in her first public appearance since her federal indictment last week. “He is a leader fighting for a better future for this city, and he, like me, knows what it’s like to be attacked, to be called names, to be threatened, to be harassed," James said of Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, ahead of next month's general election. "I see the courage that is embodied in Zohran, and that's why I am supporting him," she said.
Go to discussionChris Christie Accuses Trump of Using Justice Department Like a Mob Boss: 'Executes Hits' on Political Enemies
(Mediaite) Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) accused President Donald Trump of using the Justice Department like a mafia crime boss would — to execute “hits” against his political enemies. Christie made the provocative allegation against Trump during a roundtable discussion led by George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week on Sunday. The indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) for mortgage fraud last week, Christie argued, only happened because Trump’s Justice Department is crooked and following his orders to target his rivals.
Go to discussionCBS producers grappling with 'mass confusion' from new Trump-backed boss
(Raw Story) Producers at CBS News told Variety on Monday that they are grappling with "conflicting orders" and "mass confusion" because of a memo sent by the new organization's editor in chief, Bari Weiss. Last week, Weiss sent CBS News staffers a memo requesting that they explain "how they spend their time" to her, their thoughts about CBS News generally, and how Weiss could align with the editorial staff "on achieving a shared vision for CBS News." Union counsel representing the CBS News workers told employees last week not to respond.
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