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October 16, 2025
Senate Dems tease hardball defense spending strategy
(Axios) Senate Democrats privately debated on Wednesday how to respond to Senate Majority Leader John Thune's plan to jam them on a vote over funding the Defense Department. Key Democrats signaled to Axios they were prepared to block a procedural motion to advance the defense funding bill on Thursday. Thune has yet to publicly indicate whether he plans to package the bills together, although he has said he is open to the idea.
Go to discussionSpeaker Johnson Bobs and Weaves On C-SPAN Debate With Jeffries -- Says He Won't Show Up Until After Shutdown
(Mediaite) On Wednesday, C-SPAN announced that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had both publicly accepted an invitation to make a joint appearance on its Ceasefire program, but a few hours later Johnson made it clear he’s unwilling to show up until the government shutdown is over. C-SPAN initially shared the news that Johnson and Jeffries would appear on Ceasefire, hosted by Politico White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns, posting a memo that quoted from recent media appearances by both party leaders agreeing to come on the show for a debate.
Go to discussion'Kids telling edgy jokes'? Chris Hayes shreds Vance's defense of racist GOP group chat
Go to discussion19 Days Until the 2025 November Election! Election Calendar, Activists' Lists, and Donation Links
Early Voting is going on TODAY in California and Virginia! Other states soon to follow! Check the calendar inside to see when early voting begins in your state!
Go to discussionTrump says he may 'go watch' as Supreme Court weighs his power to impose sweeping tariffs
(Scripps) U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may attend the Supreme Court's oral arguments in a major case where justices will consider whether he has the unilateral power to impose sweeping tariffs — a major aspect of his trade agenda. Speaking Wednesday from the Oval Office, President Trump called it "one of the most important cases ever brought" before the Supreme Court, arguing tariffs help protect American jobs and national security. "That's why I think I'm going to go to the Supreme Court to watch it," he said. "I've not done that, and I had some pretty big cases."
Go to discussionTrump vows federal 'surge' in more American cities to combat crime
(ABC News) President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, said his administration is going to "go into other cities" to combat crime. "We're going to have a surge of strong, good people, patriots. And they’re going to go in, they straighten it all out," Trump said. In the rare event, Patel joined Trump to give a presentation on what they dubbed "Operation Summer Heat." Patel talked at length about the thousands of arrests he said the administration made over the past few months.
Supreme Court Poised to Roll Back Even More of the Progress Blacks Have Made in the U.S. in the Last Half Century
Removing yet another key plank of the VRA which helped advance more Blacks to the national legislature would be yet another victory for those politicians and others who've fostered and encouraged a resurgence of racial animosity toward people of color in the U.S.; something which, for the most part, blacks have never had much control over. It remains for the white community to lead the way in setting the standard for discourse and relations in this nation.
Go to discussionI-5 may be shut down due to concerns over live-fire military event at Camp Pendleton
(LA Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is weighing whether to close parts of Interstate 5 beginning Friday amid concerns over what it says is a White House-directed plan to use live ordnance during a military anniversary celebration off Camp Pendleton’s coast in San Diego County — where Navy ships are expected to fire over the freeway onto the base. Newsom's office has received, but not confirmed, reports that live ordnance will be fired from offshore vessels during the event commemorating the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary. The event is titled "Sea to Shore — A Review of Amphibious Strength" and will feature Vice President JD Vance.
Go to discussionFurious constituents flood Republican's tele-town hall: 'You are wasting time!'
(Raw Story) Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) became the latest Republican lawmaker to face a barrage of anger from his constituents on Wednesday.
Unlike many of his colleagues, who held a physical town hall where disgruntled constituents lined up to yell at him, Wittman opted for a so-called "tele-town hall" on Facebook, where people could call in ahead of time to get their questions answered. But almost from the get-go, the stream's comments section was flooded with angry messages from constituents who accused him of manipulating the format of the town hall to screen out unfriendly questions.
Trump Hosts Dinner for Wealthy Donors to White House Ballroom
(New York Times) President Trump hosted dozens of wealthy spenders for a dinner on Wednesday in exchange for what he called the "tremendous amounts of money" they agreed to donate to construct a $200 million ballroom addition to the White House, a project that has sparked concerns from ethics watchdogs. ... "We have a lot of legends in the room tonight, and that's why we're here to celebrate you, because you gave," Mr. Trump said in the East Room. "They wanted to have a ballroom, and it never happened because they didn't have a real estate person."
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