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This Week…

In the News

Dozy Don: A Pictorial History – Andy Borowitz

Trump, 79, Repeatedly Falls Asleep in
His Own Cabinet Meeting | The New Republic

The Painful Decline of Donald Trump
Rick Wilson/Lincoln Square

VIDEO: Dr. Gupta — Trump’s MRI Excuse Raises
More Questions Than Answers| Meidas+

Kristi Noem Thanks Trump for Keeping
Hurricanes Away | The New Republic

 

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Duggan’s political makeover raises questions about who he really is in gubernatorial bid – Detroit Metro Times
• Opinion — Barry Goodman: Mike Duggan’s Refusal to Condemn Political Violence is Unacceptable | Deadline Detroit
• McCann-Huizenga Polling | Public Policy Polling
• Michigan Supreme Court eyes limits on courthouse immigration arrests | Bridge Michigan
• Hmong refugee from Lansing area released from ICE custody | Lansing State Journal
• Employer-Provided Insurance Seeing ’15, 20, 25, 35 . . . 50 Percent’ Rate Hike | MIRS News
• Tariffs trigger steep declines in Michigan farm exports, raising concerns for long-term stability | WGVU NEWS
• Electricity prices jump after Trump rejects disaster aid for Michigan utilities – POLITICO
• Peters pushes bill that responds to misconduct at Detroit VA hospital – Detroit News
• Peters Letter re Paul Ingrassia at GSA – Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
• Conservative activists get probation in voter intimidation case | Detroit Free Press
• Stefanie Lambert, ex-clerk to stand trial in Michigan election tampering case | Bridge Michigan
• New Report: Line 5 Tunnel Could Stick Michigan Taxpayers With $4 Billion Bill – Oil & Water Don’t Mix
• With clock ticking on 2025, Michigan officials eye biz incentives deal – Bridge Michigan
• New GOP bills seek to resume collection of abortion data in Michigan – Detroit News
• AG Nessel Launches Holiday Consumer Protection Campaign – Attorney General Nessel
• The 6 Democrats’ Video Is Accurate and Necessary – Harry Litman/Talking Feds Substack
• The Closest U.S. Senate Democratic Primary Elections In Michigan History – MIRS News
• Trump Administration Lowers Fuel-Economy Rules For Carmakers | Wall Street Journal
• This 2028 possibility is Trump’s favorite Democrat – POLITICO

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• Kristi Noem defends deporting Venezuelans to El Salvador despite court order – The Hill
• Trump Trashes Somali Immigrants as He Orders ICE to Target Them | The New Republic
• Justice Department expands legal action against states that have refused its demands for voter data – Detroit News
• Trump administration warns it will withhold some SNAP funds from states that don’t share data | AP News

Trump-World Grift, Lies, Corruption and Incompetence

• A New Era of Crony Capitalism | Brennan Center for Justice | Michael Waldman/Brennen Center for Justice
• How Sovereign Wealth Funds Grease Trump’s Kleptocracy | The New Republic
• Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine | Wall Street Journal
• Kushner’s Moscow mission wasn’t just corrupt. It was unconstitutional. | Judd Legum/Popular Information
• Trump: Pro-crypto or Pro-crime? – Paul Krugman
• The Melania Meme Coin Collapse — and What It Means – Lincoln Square
• Top Trump negotiator retains partnership with Ukraine-sanctioned billionaire – Judd Legum/Popular Information
• Silicon Valley’s Man in the White House Is Benefiting Himself and His Friends – The New York Times
• Trump Frees Fraudster Just Days Into Seven-Year Prison Sentence – The New York Times
• Trump Scion Who’s Made Most While Dad Is in Office Named | Daily Beast
• Trump Jr.-backed startup receives $620 million Pentagon loan | Popular Information Substack

Trump’s Economic Mess

• Layoffs Hit Record High as Trump Brags About Economy | The New Republic
• Private Hiring Sank in November, ADP Says | Wall Street Journal
• Hopes fade in Congress for a health care deal before premiums soar in January – NBC News
• Poll: 1 in 3 ACA Marketplace Enrollees Say They Would “Very Likely” Shop for a Cheaper Plan If Their Premium Payments Doubled; 1 in 4 Say They “Very Likely” Would Go Without Insurance – Kaiser Family Foundation
• Poll Suggests Voters May Blame Republicans More if Affordable Care Act Subsidies Go Away – The New York Times
• Bah humbug: Tariffs muffle holiday cheer, raise prices, squeeze margins – Detroit News
• The unbearable lightweightness of being Kevin Hassett | Paul Krugman Substack

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• MAGA’s State-by-State Plot to Butcher Democracy | The New Republic
• DHS swept Chicago to get ‘the worst’ criminals. Many have no record. – The Washington Post
• Anti-redistricting sentiment twice as intense as support among Indiana voters, poll finds – Indiana Capital Chronicle
• Why Indiana lawmakers are careful to call redistricting ‘political’ | Indy Star
• At least a dozen Indiana legislators receive “credible threats” – IndyStar.com
• Supreme Court to Allow Texas to Use New Congressional Map in Win for Republicans – WSJ
• Despite talk of ‘transparency,’ Team Trump wants to keep Jack Smith’s findings under wraps | Maddow Blog

Across the Nation

• Biden Slams Republicans for Using L.G.B.T.Q. Identity as ‘Political Football’ – The New York Times
• Trump’s birthday free at national parks; MLK, Juneteenth cut | AP News
• Trump, 79, Cranks ‘Live and Let Die’ Before ‘Delivering Peace’ Event |Daily Beast
• FDA officials said COVID-19 vaccines killed at least 10 children, providing no evidence | Politifact
• RFK Jr. said ‘we’re not cutting science’ or research. That’s Pants on Fire! | Politifact
• Trump Defends Plan To Pardon Drug-Dealing Ex-President Of Honduras | HuffPost Latest News
• Don’t Expect a Trump “Tariff Check” Anytime Soon | The New Republic
• Since Trump’s Return, Bets on His Brand Have Soured | Wall Street Journal
• Trump calls Ilhan Omar ‘garbage,’ says Somalis should ‘go back to where they came from’ – NBC News
• Watchdog finds Hegseth risked endangering troops by sharing of sensitive war plans on Signal, sources say | CNN Politics

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

• Politicizing A Tragic Death
• Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Trump’s Tariffs
• Attacking Venezuela
• Organizing for 2026 – Michigan Could Upend the U.S. House
• The Secret to a Perfect 30-Pound Turkey!

In the News

Second-Term Tab For Trump’s Golf Hobby Tops $70 Million,
On Track To Exceed $300 Million – HuffPost

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Nessel has joined 38 lawsuits challenging Trump’s actions this year | Detroit News
• GOP seeks federal oversight of Michigan’s 2026 election, meaning what? – Votebeat
• Changes to the agency that helps secure elections lead to midterm worries – AP News
• Electricity prices jump after Trump rejects disaster aid for Michigan utilities – Politico
• NEW: Duggan Refuses to Condemn Trump’s Threats to Execute Lawmakers – Michigan Democratic Party
• Speaker Matt Hall gets Lions tickets from lobbyist while blocking open records – Detroit News
• New Statewide Poll: Overwhelming Support for Protecting the Great Lakes, Strong Opposition to Fast-Tracking Line 5 Oil Tunnel Project – Great Lakes Business Network
• New Statewide Poll: Overwhelming Support for Protecting the Great Lakes, Strong Opposition to Fast-Tracking Line 5 Oil Tunnel Project – Great Lakes Business Network
• Senate rankings: The 5 seats most likely to flip – The Hill
• Lions’ Sam LaPorta pushing to limit dog experimentation in Michigan – Bridge Michigan
• Exclusive | Senate Committee to Challenge Auto-Safety Mandates That Hurt ‘Affordability’ | Wall Street Journal
• Michigan gun task force: Ban assault weapons, raise minimum buying age – Bridge Michigan
• Opinion: Sinclair Broadcasting’s news heralds big change for WXYZ – Detroit Free Press
• MSU study says SNAP work requirements aren’t effective – Detroit News

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• Editorial: Trump overreaction to illegal orders video helps Democrats, Mark Kelly – The Washington Post
• Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all – The Washington Post
• FBI’s Frantic Scramble to Redact the Jeffrey Epstein Files Revealed – Daily Beast

Trump-World Grift, Lies, Corruption and Incompetence

• Democratic senators file FOIA request, demand answers about Tom Homan controversy – Maddow Blog
• Trump Family’s Crypto Holdings Lose Nearly $1 Billion Amid Market Collapse – Lincoln Square
• Judge tosses cases against Trump targets James Comey, Letitia James |- Detroit Free Press
• Appeals court upholds $1M penalty against Trump in lawsuit against Hillary Clinton – POLITICO
• Georgia election case against Trump dismissed | AP News
• Counterterrorism officials vetted D.C. ambush suspect before he entered U.S. – The Washington Post
• Trump’s clown car Cabinet keeps humiliating him – Jen Psaki/MS NOW
• Kennedy Sharpens Vaccine Attacks, Without Scientific Backing – KFF Health News
• South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation – KFF Health News
• Kash Patel’s girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk – MS NOW
• Trump Target Skewers ‘Unqualified’ Pentagon Pete on Kimmel After Court-Martial Threat – Daily Beast
• Trump Is Boosting MAGA X Accounts Operating Overseas | WIRED

The Federal Budget Mess

• Reno-Obsessed Trump Reveals His Next D.C. Remodel Target – Daily Beast
• Trump says Jack Nicklaus will lead golf course overhaul at Joint Base Andrews – The Hill
• Drug Arrests and Gun Seizures Fell as Homeland Security Pursued Immigration – The New York Times
• The Trump Trade is Unraveling – Paul Krugman Substack

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• Planning No Kings Demonstrations for July 4, 2026 – The American Prospect
• Trump Says He Is Canceling Biden Executive Orders Signed With Autopen | Wall Street Journal
• More than 220 judges have now rejected the Trump admin’s mass detention policy – POLITICO
• DOJ Flouts Court Order on Trump’s Illegally Installed Attorney | The New Republic
• Trump Suffers Supreme Court Blow in Quest to Control Copyright Office – The New Republic

Across the Nation

• Readers’ choice: Vote for your 2025 Lie of the Year – PolitiFact
• Is Trump Giving Illegal Orders? Dems Just Blew the Question Wide Open. | The New Republic
• US manufacturing slows in November as high prices curb demand – Reuters
• House Republican Warns More “Explosive” Resignations Coming After MTG | The New Republic
• Could GOP lose House majority by next spring?- Punchbowl News
• Trump Delays His Health Care Plan After Revolt From Republicans | The New Republic
• Indiana lawmakers will meet over redistricting after Senate reverses course | Indianapolis Star
• Political violence surge raises concerns for state lawmakers – The Hill
• Pollution from coal plants was dropping. Then came Trump and AI. – POLITICO

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Mike Johnson Justifies Trump
Threatening to Execute Democrats — The New Republic

This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
Calling Them Traitors – Very Dangerous

 

Representative Laurie Pohutsky
Taking on Massive Medical Debt

In the News

VIDEO: We want to speak directly to
members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Slotkin says she has ‘24/7′ security after Trump calls her and other Democrats ‘traitors’ | mlive.com
• Police respond to bomb threat report at Senator Slotkin’s home | WNEM TV
• Former Michigan governor calls President’s response ‘disgusting’ as controversy escalates over lawmaker video message | WILX TV
• White House defends Trump remarks, says he does not want member of Congress executed | The Hill
• Opinion | Gretchen Whitmer: Let’s do tariffs right | The Washington Post
• Trump said tariffs would save car factories. Here’s what happened next | The Times
• Man found not guilty in Whitmer kidnapping plot files to run for governor | WILX TV
• Rivet Suggests Opening Up Medicare For Those Who Want It | MIRS News
• MI GOP Concludes Debate Series, Audiences Point To Cox, Rebandt And Nesbitt For Shining Moments | MIRS News
• VIDEO: Michigan Republican Gov. Candidates Struggle to Name One Issue They Disagree with Trump On | MDP via YouTube
• State GOP split on John James campaign for governor | Tim Skubick/WLNS TV
• From 2010: Michigan’s Mike Cox joins dozen other attorneys general sue over health care overhaul | The Oakland Press
• GOP seeks federal oversight of Michigan’s 2026 election — meaning what? | Votebeat
• Michigan Republicans: ‘Immediately reinstate’ ban on mail-order abortion pills | Bridge Michigan
• 143 Workers in Michigan Laid Off Thanks to Trump’s War on Clean Energy | Climate Power
• Mike Rogers once denounced election denial of the 2020 election. Now, he’s surrounded by it. | Michigan Advance
• Dearborn, state leaders urge unity after clashing protests boil over | Detroit News
• Alharbi loses votes but still gets elected Hamtramck’s mayor | Detroit News
• Can Michigan ‘make rural America healthy again?’ Hospitals doubt it | Bridge Michigan
• Anti-nuclear groups file suit against Palisades restart in southwest Michigan | Bridge Michigan
• Michigan OKs landmark regulations that push up-front costs to data centers | Bridge Michigan
• Sinclair, EW Scripps deal could affect these Michigan TV stations | Detroit Free Press
• Opinion: Democrats must fight for workers in 2026 | Andy Levin & Abdul El-Sayed/Detroit News
• Amazon Autos adds Ford certified pre-owned vehicles to platform | Detroit News
• The Standoff That Brought the Big Ten’s $2.4 Billion Deal to a Screeching Halt | Wall Street Journal
• Tate, Dems Bring Veteran Aid Bills Front And Center | MIRS News

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• This Isn’t Law Enforcement. It’s Terror. | Lincoln Square
• Nearly all immigrants detained in Trump Chicago raid had no criminal conviction | The Guardian
• Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations | The New York Times
• 60 Attorneys on the Year of Chaos Inside Trump’s Justice Department | The New York Times
• Trump Calls for an Epstein Investigation Into Everyone But Him | Mother Jones
• CDC website changed to include false claims that link autism and vaccines | CNN

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• She Says Trump Raped Her When She Was a Child | Borowitz Report
• Trump Is Undoing DOJ Prosecutions From His First Term —|ProPublica
• Grand theft government | Judd Legum/Popular Information
• Lindsey Graham Stops Repeal of Payout Clause That May Get Him Millions | The New Republic
• Trump Honors the Man Who Had Jamal Khashoggi Killed | The New Republic
• Secret Tape That Could Spin Trump Into Another Cover-Up Scandal | Daily Beast
• Trump says he will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia | AP News
• Trump Family’s Business Ties to Saudi Arabia Raise Ethics Worries | The New York Times
• Kash Patel’s girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk | MS NOW
• Doubts Arise Over China’s commitment to buy American soybeans afer USDA Report | AP News
• On Walmart and Thanksgiving costs, Trump’s ‘big fact’ is neither big nor fact | Maddow Blog
• Family Affair: Commerce Secretary’s Sons Cash In on A.I. Frenzy | The New York Times

The Federal Budget Mess

• ACA Marketplace Premium Payments Would More than Double on Average Next Year if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire | Kaiser Family Foundation
• Hundreds of clinical trials affected by NIH funding cuts, new study finds | The Washington Post
• As Americans sour on Trump and the economy, the White House moves the goalposts | Maddow Blog
• Trump’s Tariffs Sent Trade Plummeting in August | The New York Times
• Trump is dismantling the Education Department. Here’s what that means | AP News
• White House plans to release health bill and backs reconciliation | POLITICO
• Trump’s focus on race backfires as voters punish economic failings | The Guardian

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• CNN shows that when media orgs fight Trump, they win | Public Notice
• Paramount in Talks With Arab Funds on Warner Bros. Discovery Bid | TheWrap.com
• Federal judges block Texas from using new US House map in 2026 | AP News
• The GOP Leader Standing Firmly Against Trump’s Redistricting Plan | POLITICO
• The POLITICO Poll: Redistricting fight has voters supporting partisan gerrymandering | POLITICO
• How redistricting backfired on the GOP | Punchbowl News
• Judge orders some Texas public schools to remove Ten Commandments posters | The Washington Post
• Federal judge orders end to National Guard deployment in DC | AP News

Across the Nation

• White House defends Trump calling female reporter ‘Piggy’ | The Washington Post
• Democrats with Double-Digit Lead on 2026 Generic Ballot | Marist Poll
• omicides are down nearly 20% in the 52 major U.S. cities that report such data monthly | Washington Post
• Trump approval rating hits record low in Fox News poll | Fox News
• Trump and Johnson Are Still Seething Over the Epstein Vote | Mother Jones

• 19 Clips of Trump Demeaning Female Reporters in Last Few Months | Meidas+
• Trump’s Anti-Green Agenda Could Lead to 1.3 Million More Climate Deaths | ProPublica
• KFF/New York Times 2025 Survey of Immigrants: Political Implications of Immigrant Voters’ Views on Immigration Enforcement | Kaiser Family Foundation
• KFF/New York Times 2025 Survey of Immigrants | Kaiser Family Foundation
• Trump Administration Removed Plaques Honoring Black WWII Heroes from Cemetery | Lincoln Square
• Trump ‘terminating’ deportation protections for Somalis in Minnesota | USA Today
• Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot ranks him as world history’s greatest human | 🤣 The Washington Post
• Coast Guard again classifies swastikas, nooses as hate symbols in reversal – The Washington Post
• In Texas, Tierra Walker Wasn’t Offered an Abortion Before a High-risk Pregnancy Killed Her — ProPublica
• Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture and Food Supply | US EPA
• Trump administration announces plan for new oil drilling off the coasts of California and Florida | AP News

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Trump Finally Reveals His Health Care Plan—and It’s Bad
The New Republic

This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
Trump’s Budget Disaster

 

Bernie Porn
EPIC MRA Polling
Michigan: It’s Purple

In the News

VIDEO: “I.C.E. Job Interview Guide”
Lincoln Project

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Michigan’s U.S. senators reject deal to end shutdown | Detroit Free Press
• Slotkin Statement on Government Funding Vote
• Peters Statement on Vote on Continuing Resolution That Fails to Address Rising Health Care Costs
• VIDEO – Michigan Veterans Call Out Barrett, James for SNAP, Medicaid cuts – Michigan Families for Fair Care
• Veterans criticize GOP Reps. Barrett and James for cuts to SNAP, Medicaid on Veterans’ Day call | Michigan Advance
• 4 Michigan insurers drop Obamacare as costs for some double, triple | Detroit Free Press
• Michigan Dems push back as Republicans request DOJ to oversee state’s election | WILX TV
• GOP Leader Nesbitt Letter to DOJ – Election Monitoring
• Slotkin Leads Colleagues to Introduce Bill to Rein in Abuse of National Guard in Domestic Deployments – Senator Elissa Slotkin
• Ex-Michigan GOP co-chair files to challenge Rogers with U.S. Senate bid | Detroit News
• Michigan Democrats rebuff Rogers’ evidence-free claim that the 2024 election was also stolen | Michigan Advance
• Michigan Dems Slam Speaker Hall for Holding Veterans’ Affairs Bills Hostage in State House Ahead of Veterans Day – Michigan Democratic Party
• Michigan adopts updated sex education standards after contentious meeting | Bridge Michigan
• Lansing Republicans Pay Chatfield Aides that Plead Guilty to Embezzlement – Michigan Democratic Party
• Michigan lawmakers OK ‘pork’ reform after scandals, investigations | Bridge Michigan
• Consumers, Blue Cross fight Michigan proposal to keep ‘money out of politics’ | Bridge Michigan

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• Naturalized citizens wary of Trump’s immigration policies | AP News
• Retired journalists raise the alarm about state sponsored terror in Chicago | Jennifer Schulze substack
• Inside Trump’s Deportation of Venezuelans: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison | The New York Times

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• Business News: Confirmed: President Trump’s Mystery Desk Clock Came From Rolex – Hodinkee
• The Gold Bar Diplomacy That Won Switzerland a Trade Deal With Trump | Wall Street Journal
• Trump Organization Is Said to Be in Talks on a Saudi Government Real Estate Deal | The New York Times
• Trump give second pardon to Jan. 6 participant and pardons two others – The Washington Post
• Democrats reveal whistleblower details of Ghislaine Maxwell prison ‘luxuries’ | MSNBC
• Senators distance themselves from controversial payout provision | POLITICO
• House Republicans Claim They Were Blindsided by MAGA Senators’ Cash Grab | Daily Beast
• Trump says Bill Clinton was at Epstein’s island. Emails say otherwise. | USA Today
• Trump pardons Michigan false electors, allies who challenged his 2020 loss | Bridge Michigan
• How the Trump Administration Is Giving Even More Tax Breaks to the Wealthy | The New York Times
• Trump Now Selling His Wine On Military Bases Because Nothing Matters Anymore | Crooks and Liars
• Trump’s Sinister Attempt to Whitewash History | Harry Litman/Talking Feds Substack
• Trump’s pardons aim to make his 2020 “fake elector scheme” legal – Hayes Brown/MSNBC
• Exclusive | Fannie Mae Watchdogs Probed How Pulte Obtained Mortgage Records of Key Democrats | Wall Street Journal
• Kristi Noem-Tied Firm Secretly Got Piece of $220 Million DHS Campaign | ProPublica
• Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Screening for Dan Bongino, Senior Staff | ProPublica

The Federal Budget Mess

• VIDEO: Jon Stewart “Can’t F**king Believe” Democrats Caved on the Shutdown | The Daily Show
• The Shutdown’s End as a Republican Victory? No Way. | The American Prospect
• The shutdown standoff over ACA subsidies was more than just another budget fight – Dr. Uché Blackstock/MS NOW
• Opinion: End of federal shutdown, it’s up to us to save health care | John Lindstrom/Detroit Free Press
• The Republican Brain Doesn’t Want To Understand Health Care | Paul Krugman Substack
• Trump’s $2,000 tariff rebate check idea sounds simple — it isn’t | MS NOW
• Why does a good economy sometimes feel bad? | Paul Krugman substack
• Feeling Great About the Economy? You Must Own Stocks | Wall Street Journal

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• Representative Sharon MacDonell: Naturalized citizens deserve protection, not persecution | Detroit News
• Supreme Court rejects appeal to overturn its same-sex marriage ruling | AP News
• Same-sex marriage still on shaky ground in Michigan, Nessel says | Detroit Free Press
• Fox News and the Misleading Story of Portland’s ICE Protests | ProPublica
• Republicans demand tougher abortion restrictions to extend Obamacare funds | NBC News
• Kansas county agrees to pay $3 million and apologize over law enforcement raid on newspaper | AP News
• With his threat of a $1bn lawsuit against BBC, Trump’s assault on the media goes global | The Guardian
• Indiana U. professor take off class over white supremacy graphic listing MAGA – Indianapolis Star

Across the Nation

• The Luxury Electric Vehicle Is in Trouble | The New York Times
• Trump’s Hatred of EVs Is Making Gas Cars More Expensive | WIRED
• Trump says cutting climate rules will save you money. It’s actually costing you more. | Vox

VIDEO: A Feel Good Moment

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Trump in Miami brags about the economy despite an election-night rebuke | AP News

This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
The Voters Tell Trump “We aren’t buying it”

 

Dr. Corwin Smidt
Interim Director
MSU Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
RxKids Boosts Civic Involvement

In the News

VIDEO: “Demolishing Democracy”
Lincoln Project

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Overwhelming Majority of Michiganders Blame Republicans for Pain of Government Shutdown – Michigan Democratic Party
• Duggan to Court Republican Donors At Fundraiser Hosted by Ex-MIGOP Co-Chair Jeff Sakwa  | Michigan Democratic Party
• Michigan GOP candidates for governor embrace Trump, tariffs at debate | Detroit News
• VIDEO; AG Nessel Leads Lawsuit Challenging Illegal Terms to FEMA Grants
• Michigan open enrollment: Here’s how much health insurance rates are rising – Bridge Michigan
• Health care changes could leave thousands in mid-Michigan uninsured | WEYI TV
• Head Start centers face closure during government shutdown | AP News
• An Overnight Sleepover, Police, Chalk Graffiti — 24 Hours Of Protest In Front Of Barrett’s Lansing Office | MIRS News
• Lee Chatfield’s chief of staff will testify against him in corruption probe plea deal | Bridge Michigan
• VIDEO: Ron Brownstein – “Hard To See [Mike Rogers] Surviving” Electorally Next Year | CNN
• $615,000 a Day: Order to Keep Coal Plant Open Ignites Debate in Michigan | Wall Street Journal
• ‘It’s gross’: Whitmer criticizes state budget pork spending process | Detroit News
• Thanks Trump: XALT to close Midland factory, eliminate 230 jobs | Midland Daily News
• 324 Workers Laid Off at Michigan Battery Plants Thanks to Trump and Republicans – Climate Power
• Attorney General: Attorney General Nessel Issues Statement on USDA’s Response to SNAP Ruling
• Byrnes Introduces Legislation Prohibiting the Sale of Diet Pills and to Minors | Michigan House Democrats
• VIDEO: Mallory McMorrow Joins MSNBC to Talk Trump SNAP Cuts
• Public Policy Poll – 7th District

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• White House evidence doesn’t prove Trump statement that California “rigged” election | PolitiFact

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• Keystone Kash Patel Keeps Using FBI Jet to Visit His Girlfriend, 27 | Daily Beast
• FBI raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago uncovered more sensitive documents than previously thought – MSNBC
• Jack Smith, Trump’s Target, Moves From Defense to Counterattack | The New York Times
• Judge Cannon Ordered to Get Moving on Jack Smith’s Trump Report | The New Republic
• Judge in Comey case orders prosecutors to produce records | AP News
• DOJ Admits to Republicans That Epstein Files Are Even Worse for Trump | The New Republic
• The Business Press Is in Denial About Trump’s UAE Bribe | The New Republic
• The Gilded Age vs State Sponsored Terror | Indistinct Chatter Substack
• Trump Fact-Checked Over Brag About Walmart’s Cheap Thanksgiving Dinner | The New Republic
• Trump pardons former Tennessee House speaker | AP News

The Federal Budget Mess

• Republicans Reject Democratic Proposal to End Government Shutdown | Wall Street Journal
• Trump Admits He Doesn’t Care About “Affordability” as Economy Plunges | The New Republic
• US employment report will not be published again as government shutdown drags on | Reuters
• Michigan’s senators see Trump as key to ending government shutdown | Detroit Free Press
• We’re Number Two! How Trump Ceded the Future to China | Paul Krugman Substack
• Most Americans blame Trump for rising prices, poll finds | The Washington Post

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• CBS Edits Out Trump Corruption Meltdown From 60 Minutes Interview | The New Republic
• The Washington Post Has Become Right-Wing Even Faster Than I Thought | The New Republic
• Immigration Agents Have Held More Than 170 Americans Against Their Will, ProPublica Finds | ProPublica

Across the Nation

• Biden Warns of a ‘Very, Very Dark Moment’ as He Hits Out at Trump | The New York Times
• Voters Nationwide Support Mamdani Policies, Want the Government to Play a “Major Role” in Lowering Costs | Data for Progress
• Voters Are Highly Favorable of SNAP, Want Trump to Continue Providing Food Stamp Benefits | Data for Progress
• The Electric Bill Election | The American Prospect
• Monthly job cuts hit a 22-year high in October | NBC News
• Tesla Shareholders Approve Elon Musk’s $1 Trillion Pay Package | WIRED
• Top 10 US billionaires’ collective wealth grew by $698bn in past year – report | The Guardian
• Republican Congressmen Go Mask-Off as New Yorkers Vote for Mamdani | The New Republic
• The POLITICO Poll – POLITICO
• Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Telling People She Wants to Run for President | NOTUS — News of the United States
• Supreme Court appears skeptical of Trump’s sweeping unilateral tariffs | AP News
• Sources: Trump wants Commanders’ new D.C. stadium named for him | ESPN

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AG Nessel Announces Victory on SNAP Case

This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
SNAP: Trump Tells 1.4 Michiganders
to Go Hungry

 

State Reprsentative Kara Hope
Stopping SLAPPs

 

In the News

“Release the Files”
Lincoln Project

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Michigan court: House GOP must send blocked bills to Whitmer | Bridge Michigan
• $500-Billion OpenAI Data Center Announced In Washtenaw County | MIRS News
• Related to Build More-Than-$7 Billion Data Center for Oracle, OpenAI’s Stargate in Saline Michigan | Wall Street Journal
• Whitmer and 20 other governors appeal to White House for SNAP program funds – CBS Detroit
• 3 health insurers dropping coverage for 200,000 in Michigan | Detroit News
• Should Rogers, Republicans Et Al Be Blamed For Exploding Health Insurance Premiums? | MIRS News
• Water Affordability Bills Make Another Splash In Senate Housing – MIRS Blog
• Slotkin slams Trump’s ‘secret war’ at sea | Detroit News
• Ford urges U.S. ambassador Hoekstra to ‘bury the hatchet,’ apologize after profane tirade | CBC News
• Duggan could enable a Trump-backed GOP governor | Bankile Thompson/Detroit News
• Nesbitt, Cox Take On James For Passing On Debate – MIRS News
• Michigan Secretary of State candidate fundraising – VoteBeat Michigan
• GOP hopeful pumps millions of own money into Michigan governor’s race | Bridge Michigan
• Nesbitt staffer’s firm works for James campaign, raising ethics flags in GOP governor race | Michigan Advance

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• DHS shares misleading footage to promote immigration agenda – The Washington Post
• Free Speech? British commentator Sami Hamdi detained by ICE | AP News
• The White House’s campaign against elections takes a radical turn with midterms on horizon | Maddow Blog

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• Poll: Americans oppose Trump’s demolition of the East Wing | The Washington Post
• Trump fires federal arts board in charge of reviewing White House ballroom and ‘Arc de Trump’ | The Guardian
• Trump Has Abandoned Global Climate Efforts, so US Groups Are Stepping Up | Mother Jones
• It Sure Looks Like Kash Patel Used the FBI’s Jet to Go on a Date | The New Republic
• Trump’s ‘real numbers’ on private sector job growth are neither real nor numbers | Maddow Blog
• The $230 Million Theft in Broad Daylight | Harry Litman/Talking Feds Substack
• Inside the Trump family’s global billion dollar crypto cash machine | Reuters
• The Good News: Scummy George Santos Isn’t Out of the Woods Just Yet | The New Republic
• 3 Scandals in 4 Days That Would Define Any Other Presidency | Judd Legum/Popular Information substack
• Stephen Miller Scores Free Military House in ‘Trump Green Zone’ – Daily Beast

The Federal Budget Mess

• ACA Insurers Are Raising Premiums by an Estimated 26%, but Most Enrollees Could See Sharper Increases in What They Pay | KFF Quick Takes
• Obamacare Prices Become Public, Highlighting Big Increases – The New York Times
• GOP needs Trump OK to negotiate shutdown: Senator Elissa Slotkin | Detroit Free Press Opinion
• Americans blame Trump and GOP more than Democrats for shutdown, poll finds | The Washington Post
• Why Democrats must end the era of no consequences – Michael Steele/MSNBC

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• Donald Trump’s Plan to Subvert the Midterms Is Already Under Way | The Atlantic
• The DOJ’s “election monitoring” is really voter suppression | Public Notice substack
• Trump DOJ Indicts Congressional Candidate for Protesting ICE | The New Republic
• Former senior DHS official Miles Taylor launches new web tool to plan protests against Trump administration | CBS News
• From CBS to TikTok, US media are falling to Trump’s allies. This is how democracy crumbles | The Guardian
• Federal judge says Trump can’t require proof of citizenship for voting | AP News

Right-Wing Media Takeover

• CBS Evening News Says Nothing About Trump Pardon Of Crypto CEO | Deadline.com
• Another Big Reason to Worry About Bari Weiss’ Tenure at CBS News | David Corn/Mother Jones
• John Dickerson, Anchor and Correspondent, Will Leave CBS News | The New York Times
• Trump family and Fox News are friends again – Daily Kos
• Larry and David Ellison Are Building a Pro-Trump Media Behemoth | The New Republic
• CNN chief Mark Thompson’s D.C. Drop-In – Status.news

Across the Nation

• UN human rights chief calls US strikes on alleged drug boats ‘unacceptable’ | AP News
• Trump sets 7,500 limit for number of refugees entering US per year – mostly white South Africans | AP News
• The Narco War No One Believes | Michael Cohen/Meidas+
• Report: Anti-Abortion Leaders Helped Tank Trump’s Promise of Free IVF – Mother Jones
• Indiana and Kansas Republicans resist Trump’s push to redistrict | AP News
• Why Do People Need an MRI Scan, Doctors Tell Why Trump Secretly Got One | Daily Beast
• It’s Time to Get Trump, 79, a Companion—or a Stairlift | Daily Beast
• Newsom Flags Telltale Sign Trump’s Doctors Are ‘Worried’ | Daily Beast
• Republicans think they’ve uncovered a story that’s ‘bigger than Watergate’ (again) | Maddow Blog)

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™

Treasury Tells Employees Not to Share
Photos of White House Ballroom Construction
Wall Street Journal

This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
Trump Focuses on His Palace While
The People Struggle

 

 

State Senator Kevin Hertel
A Healthcare Crisis Begins Next Week

 

In the News

Top Republicans Stand by President’s Poop Video
Mother Jones

Michigan Politics and Policy

• FEMA denies Whitmer’s appeal for Northern Michigan ice storm aid – Petoskey News-Review
• Secretary Benson warns Michiganders: U.S. Department of Justice is unlawfully demanding your private voter information
• Report: Billionaire accused in Florida prostitution sting donates $12k to boost Mike Rogers’ Senate campaign | The Gander
• John James to Cash In Under D.C. Republicans’ Tax Law – Michigan Democratic Party
• New poll reveals growing economic worry in Michigan amid Trump’s trade war – Detroit News
• Federal shutdown hits Michigan telehealth, Head Start, environment, more – Bridge Michigan
• Plea deal: Lee Chatfield aide to testify against him in Michigan corruption case – Bridge Michigan
• Corruption trial for ex-Michigan Speaker Lee Chatfield delayed to fall 2026 – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan seeks to limit rest stop stays. Some fear ‘criminalizing homelessness’ – Bridge Michigan
• Democrats Run Away With Q3 Fundraising, Except In MI-10 – MIRS Blog
• Michigan cuts off weight-loss drugs for most Medicaid patients, saving $240M – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan lawmakers float ban on new licenses for large marijuana farms | Detroit News
• County Clerks Unanimously Oppose Ranked-Choice Voting – MIRS Blog
• Michigan appeals court rejects ‘person’ status for chimpanzees | Iron Mountain Daily News

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• Trump ICE Raids Take Horrific Turn in Chicago, Handing Dems an Opening | The New Republic
• The Chilling Memo Marking Trump’s War on Dissent | Lincoln Square

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• As Trump Plans to Steal $230 Million From Taxpayers, You Can Thank John Roberts | Mother Jones
• Trump’s Son Is Poised to Profit From Pentagon Drone Proposal | The New York Times
• Donald Trump, Demolition Man | borowitzreport.com
• The Trump Family’s Ever-Expanding Portfolio of Corruption | The New Republic
• The ‘enormous conflict of interest’ at centre of Jared Kushner’s Gaza ceasefire deal | The Guardian
• Coast Guard Buys Two Private Jets for Noem, Costing $172 Million | The New York Times
• Ranchers enraged over Trump’s suggestion to buy beef from Argentina | POLITICO
• Trump Keeps Attacking Americans. Why Does He Get Away With It? | The New Republic
• Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, key cryptocurrency figure | AP News
• Trump’s Pardon of His Crypto Pal Is a New Height of Corruption | The New Republic

The Federal Budget Mess

• Higher Obamacare Prices Become Public in a Dozen States – The New York Times
• Average Obamacare premiums set to increase by 30 percent – The Washington Post
• Government shutdown: SNAP benefits could run out in November, Rollins says | FOX 2 Detroit
• How Trump gutted the team meant to build America’s energy future | Canary Media
• Nuclear security agency starts furloughing workers | AP News
• Trump pollster: ObamaCare subsidy extension key for GOP ahead of midterms | The Hill

The Battle to Defend the Constitution

• Trump’s Personal Army: ICE’s Spending on Weaponry Is Up More Than 700 Percent Over Last Year – Mother Jones
• Customers Ditched Disney+, Hulu After Kimmel Suspension | Wall Street Journal
• Universities Are Standing Up to Trump – The New York Times
• How Republicans are trying to steal the midterms before they even start | Symone Sanders Townsend/MSNBC
• White House Hires ‘Stop the Steal’ Lawyer to Investigate 2020 Election Claims | Wall Street Journal
• Indiana and Kansas Republicans resist Trump’s push to redistrict | AP News
• Inside Obama’s moves to help Democrats fight Trump’s redistricting push – The Washington Post

Across the Nation

• Hispanic adults view Trump more negatively, poll finds | AP News
• AP finds hundreds of anti-science bills hit statehouses in 2025 | AP News
• Gavin Newsom launches affordable insulin for California diabetics – Cal Matters
• California governor says Trump ‘putting ego over responsibility’ as military show shuts highway | The Guardian
• Potential 2028 presidential contenders hit the trail in this year’s big campaigns | NBC News
• GOP uses AI-generated video in anti-Schumer ad | AP News
• World reaches first climate tipping point, as coral reefs collapse | USA Today
• North to Alaska: America’s Climate Warning | Governor Jay Inslee
• Before Alaska flooding, EPA canceled $20 million flood protection grant | The Seattle Times
• In First Six Months, Cost of Weather Catastrophes on Pace to Break a Record – The New York Times
• Trump names Mark Savaya, weed entrepreneur from Michigan as Iraq envoy – Detroit Free Press

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
No Kings – A Celebration of Our Constitutional Rights

 

 

Senator Elissa Slotkin
The GOP Drive to Double Healthcare Costs

 

In the News

When health insurance subsidies end, who will be affected by higher prices?
The Washington Post

The Trump Economy Is Here, and It’s So Much Worse Than Biden’s
The New Republic

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Michigan GOP leaders downplay racist, pro-Hitler Young Republicans group chat – Detroit Metro Times
• ‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat – POLITICO
• 2024 November General Election: Recounts, Ballot Audits, and Post-Election Procedural Audits – Secretary of State
• $36M in grants to help 23 Michigan school districts add clean buses – Port Huron Times Herald
• Michigan farmers grapple with inflation, low crop prices and tariffs – Detroit News
• Michigan’s ‘toss up’ US Senate race draws donors from other states – Bridge Michigan
• Fluoridation Debate Turns Raucous in a Michigan Community — ProPublica
• New grants push Michigan’s number of clean-powered school buses toward 900 | Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
• Group withdraws suit saying U-M discriminates against straight white men | Detroit News
• Jeep-Maker Stellantis Plans $13 Billion Investment to Boost U.S. Manufacturing | Wall Street Journal
• Michigan airports split on showing Kristi Noem TSA video. Why video is controversial – Lansing State Journal
• Michigan sex ed overhaul plan sparks debate: inclusivity or indoctrination? – Bridge Michigan
• A once-in-a-generation discovery is transforming a Michigan dairy farm | MSUToday | Michigan State University

The War on Democracy and the Constitution

• State Militias? It’s Time | Stuart Stevens/Lincoln Square
• Editorial | Trump Disgraces American Justice – The New York Times
• The Cost of Trump’s Politicization of the Military – Pete Buttigieg Substack
• Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People – The New York Times
• Trump Team Plans IRS Overhaul to Enable Pursuit of Left-Leaning Groups – Wall Street Journal
• Texas AG Ken Paxton announces ‘undercover’ investigations into liberals – MSNBC
• US non-profits ‘lock arms’ amid Trump’s menacing of George Soros: ‘We will not be intimidated” | The Guardian
• Page one of the authoritarian playbook’: how Trump and allies are exploiting Kirk’s killing – The Guardian
• Fearless Journalists and Vigilant Residents Tell Chicago’s Story under Trump’s Assault – Jennifer Schulz
• Trump’s Lies About Portland: An Excuse to Create a Police State | The New Republic
• Trump Spends Peace Summit Whining How He Wants a Police State | The New Republic
• ICE’s use of full-body restraints during deportations raises concerns over inhumane treatment | AP News
• Behind Bill Pulte’s rise to becoming Trump’s attack dog – AP News

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• The Trump Family’s Ever-Expanding Portfolio of Corruption | The New Republic
• Jack Smith Reveals He Had “Tons of Evidence” Against Trump | The New Republic
• Jack Smith’s Quiet Integrity—and the DOJ’s Loud Collapse – Harry Litman/Talking Feds Substack
• The Tom Homan Affair Has More Red Flags Than a May Day Parade – The New York Times
• Quid Pro Presidency – Judd Legum/Popular Information
• FBI director says antifa is an ideology, not an organization – AP News
• Trump Allies Sold Sponsorships to What Appeared to Be a Treasury Event. It Wasn’t. – Wall Street Journal
• The House Republicans Getting Rich Off Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill | The New Republic
• Trump Organization Expands in India, Where Many of Its Partners Face Accusations – Wall Street Journal
• Trump family proves grift does not skip a generation | Daily Kos
• Trump Says Argentina Bailout Depends on Milei’s Party Winning Upcoming Elections – Wall Street Journal
• Price tag of Trump’s Argentina bailout set to double, creating Democratic opportunity – Maddow Blog
• Furious MAGA Customers Say They Got ‘Scammed’ by Trump Watches – Daily Beast

GOP Governmental Incompetence

• ‘Using us as political pawns’: federal workers reel over threats of firings and withheld back pay – The Guardian
• Trump’s Interior Department cancels largest solar project in North America – POLITICO
• North to Alaska: America’s Climate Warning – Governor Jay Inslee
• Before Alaska flooding, EPA canceled $20 million flood protection grant | The Seattle Times
• How Trump Is Making China Great – Paul Krugman Substack
• As coal fades, Australia looks to realize dream of 100% Renewable Energy – Canary Media
• Airports Are Pushing Back Against Kristi Noem’s Shutdown Propaganda | The New Republic
• Guard Buys Two Private Jets for Noem, Costing $172 Million – The New York Times

Across the Nation and World

• Meet the Master Race – Rick Wilson/Lincoln Square
• No One in the GOP Hitler Chat Was a “Kid” – Mother Jones
• SCOTUS Is Hearing a Case that Could End Democracy as We Know It – Joe Trippi/Lincoln Square
• AI Is Changing How Politics Is Practiced in America – The American Prospect
• GOP uses AI-generated video in anti-Schumer ad | AP News
• Republicans target law that protects whales, seals and polar bears | AP News
• Europe Pledges $600 Million for Clean Energy Projects in Africa | WIRED
• As coal fades, Australia looks to realize dream of 100% Renewable Energy – Canary Media
• Indiana University orders student newspaper IDS to stop printing – IndyStar.com
• IU fires student newspaper adviser amid dispute over IDS content | IndyStar.com

Video – The Full Interview

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
Trump Reneges on Supporting Michigan Auto Manufacturing

 

 

Senator Mallory McMorrow
Kids Rx: Protecting the Youngest Michiganders

 

Wynett Guy
Stopping an Election Denier’s Takeover in Southfield

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• VIDEO: Democrats Speak Out On Health Care Costs – WNEM TV
• Duggan defends Trump’s Medicaid work rules as critics warn cuts will strip coverage from hundreds of thousands – Detroit Metro Times
• Dems target James over ACA tax-credits dispute in shutdown standoff – The Oakland Press
• Trump mulls canceling $1B in grants for GM, Stellantis projects – Detroit News
• Gretchen Whitmer signs $81B Michigan budget, roads deal. What to know – Bridge Michigan
• Who are the winners and losers in the state’s new budget?  Kyle Melinn/Lansing City Pulse
• Cannabis Association Files Suit Over ‘Unconstitutional Tax Scheme’ – MIRS Blog
• Michigan cash aid program gets $270 million boost in state budget – Detroit Free Press
• Trump megadonor at center of Detroit scandals hosts fundraiser for Duggan – Detroit Metro Times
• Michigan needs to prepare for possibility of Trump sending national guard troops, Nessel says – Michigan Public Radio
• VIDEO: Peters Condemns Government Censorship, Calls Out Trump Admin. Attacks on First Amendment Rights – YouTube
• Stabenow: Instead of cutting home health benefits, Congress must fight fraud first
• Preliminary exams begin in Michigan voting machine case – Detroit Free Press
• David Hogg takes on incumbent House Democrat by endorsing <Shri Thanedar> challenger – The Washington Post
• Stevens Surpasses McMorrow In Fundraising – $1.9M Raised In 3rd Quarter Of ’25 – MIRS Blog
• Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, former Detroit U.S. Rep., dies at 80 – Detroit Free Press
• MSU professor drops out of race for Congress in key Michigan district – Detroit News

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• Trump’s war on the left: Inside the plan to investigate liberal groups – Reuters
• Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots – Wall Street Journal
• Trump-Appointed Prosecutor Indicts NY AG Letitia James – NOTUS — News of the United States
• Sources Leak Trump FBI Fired Agent For Refusing To ‘Perp Walk’ James Comey – Mediaite
• Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Illinois National Guard Deployment – Wall Street Journal
• VIDEO: The Real Reason Trump Wants To Invade Chicago and Portland – Robert Reich
• Why the White House’s ‘antifa roundtable’ took an exceedingly weird turn – Maddow Blog
• Hegseth’s hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations – The Washington Post

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• Treasury Defends Minting a $1 Trump Coin Despite 1866 Law – The New York Times
• Ethics group, Dems allege Hatch Act violations over federal website messages, emails. What to know – Lansing State Journal
• Florida’s hasty deal to host Trump’s presidential library flagged in legal filing – MSNBC
• Trump claims $17 trillion in new US investments. The real number is likely much less – AP News
• Despite campaign promises, White House eyes new changes to Social Security and Medicare – Maddow Blog
• White House offers ‘concierge’ service to fossil fuel firms – The Washington Post
• Trump Wants to Overhaul Drug Sales. BlinkRx, a Company Tied to His Son, Stands to Benefit. – Wall Street Journal
• Donald Trump to Trump Country: Drop Dead – The American Prospect
• PolitiFact: Portland ICE protests have not led to the city’s ‘burning to the ground’
• Trump, administration’s portrayal of Portland as conflict zone debated – AP News
• What’s Really Going On in Portland, According to Police Reports – Wall Street Journal
• Pentagon Pete Blasted Over Qatari Air Force Base Inside the U.S – Daily Beast
• How Ken Paxton, a Rising MAGA Star, Got Rich as a Texas Politician – Wall Street Journal
• The latest Republican conspiracy theory about the FBI and Jan. 6 starts to unravel – Maddow Blog

GOP Governmental Incompetence

• The Unofficial Jobs Numbers Are In and It’s Rough Out There – Wall Street Journal
• Trump’s former surgeon general calls RFK Jr. a danger to public health – Indianapolis Star
• Trump Labor Department Says His Immigration Raids Are Causing a Food Crisis – The American Prospect
• How Trump’s tariffs are squeezing small businesses | On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti- WBUR Boston
• Pam Bondi Rips Adam Schiff as a ‘Failed Lawyer’ After He Lists All the Questions She Refused to Answer – Mediaite
• Schiff Lists Every Question Pam Bondi Ignored as She Melts Down – The New Republic
• A Ridiculous Attorney General – Harry Litman/Talking Feds Substack
• Myanmar’s children suffer as US aid cuts take hold – AP News

Attacking the Constitution

• How ICE Hides Detainees From Their Lawyers – The American Prospect
• Trump’s invasion – Lisa Needham/Public Notice
• How federal agents are terrorizing American citizens – Judd Legum/Popular Information Substack
• Trump floats invoking the Insurrection Act – NBC News
• How Trump Became the Ringmaster of Left-Wing Violence – The New Republic
• Nexstar and Sinclair Are Bad News – Jennifer Schulze via Lincoln Square
• CBS News staffers react to Bari Weiss being named editor-in-chief: ‘It’s utterly depressing’ – The Guardian
• The devolution of CBS News – Popular Information Substack
• Karen Attiah: Columnist Fired by Bezos Says Billionaire Is Helping Trump Destroy Democracy – Daily Beast
• AP disputes Trump’s false characterization of its legal fight over access – AP News
• Press Group Condemns New Pentagon Rules on Reporting – The New York Times
• ICE Barbie Blasts MAGA Message at Airports Hit by Shutdown Chaos – Daily Beast
• At US national parks, the arc of history now bends toward revisionism – AP News
• Book bans have increased in the past four years. Here’s the data. – USA Today
• See the top 10 most banned books in America – USA Today

Across the Nation

• Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases – Wall Street Journal
• More Than 3 in 4 ACA Marketplace Enrollees Live in States Won by President Trump in 2024 – Kaiser Family Foundation
• Global solar power grows 31% as renewable energies outpace coal – AP News
• MIT rebuffs Trump’s federal funding proposal that comes with new limits – POLITICO
• Trump’s Team Hones Message on Economy: Just Wait Until 2026 – Wall Street Journal
• Why Republicans blamed Indy for Mark Sanchez stabbing – James Briggs/IndyStar.com
• Pod man out: Trump’s support among influential podcasters is waning – NBC News
• Why US Power Bills Are Surging – WIRED
• Country star’s anti-ICE ballad has MAGA singing the blues – Daily Kos
• The Trump Administration Is Rushing to Implement SNAP Cuts – The New Republic
• I’ve Seen Epstein’s Photos of Trump With Topless Girls: Author – Daily Beast
• Fearless journalists & vigilant residents tell Chicago’s story – Jennifer Schulze/Indistinct Chatter Substack
• Senate vote tests Trump’s authority to use force against drug cartels – AP News
• Oct. 3-6 Polling on Government Shutdown (October 2025) – Data for Progress
• MAGA Is Fuming As They Demand Bad Bunny’s Deportation After Super Bowl | International Business Times UK
• Make America Deepfaked Again – Michael Cohen/Meidas+
• China Is Leading the World in the Clean Energy Transition. Here’s What That Looks Like – WIRED

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”:

Chairperson Curtis Hertel
Federal Chaos, State Leadership

 

 

Congresswoman Haley Stevens
Trump’s Government Shutdown

In the News

More Americans blame Trump and Republicans than Democrats for shutdown, poll finds
Washington Post

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Michigan lawmakers might impose big fee hikes on EV, plug-in hybrid owners – Detroit News
• Cannabis group plots lawsuit over new Michigan weed tax plan – Bridge Michigan
• Don’t Let Anyone Tell You That You Have to Settle – Mallory McMorrow via Meidas+
• Whitmer recruits fresh political talent in Ypsilanti amid ‘barrage of insanity’ in D.C. – mlive.com

Weaponizing the Federal Government

• Donald Trump’s “The Enemy Within” speech to the military – Darrin Bell substack
• Veterans react to Hegseth’s ‘insulting’ address to generals and admirals – The Guardian
• Trump declares war on America – Popular Information Substack
• Trump Uses Shutdown to Maximize Pain for Democrats and Move Forward With Layoffs – The New York Times
• White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement to Get Funding Advantage – Wall Street Journal

Trump-World Grift, Lies and Corruption

• Another Lie: Explaining the G.O.P.’s Misleading Talking Point on the Looming Shutdown – The New York Times
• How an ex-ICE officer ensnared Tom Homan in an FBI sting – MSNBC
• ‘There could very well be consequences’: Trump’s team pressures wary GOP lawmakers to draw new maps – POLITICO
• Jared Kushner’s double life – by Judd Legum/Popular Information Substack
• Trump’s Argentina bailout enriches one well-connected billionaire – Popular Information Substack

GOP Governmental Incompetence

• Trump’s Tariffs Threaten to Break Some Small Businesses – The New York Times
• FEMA Is Paralyzed. Disaster-Torn Communities Are Paying the Price. – Wall Street Journal
• ADP Report: U.S. Lost 32,000 Private-Sector Jobs in September – Wall Street Journal
• Trump gutting protected status for immigrants will strain US healthcare, Democrats warn – The Guardian

Attacking the Constitution

• Trump orders crackdown on ‘domestic terrorists’ that targets the left – AP News
• Trump’s “Anti-American” Order Will Double Domestic Terrorism Watchlist – The New Republic
• Trump, Hegseth lecture military leaders at politically charged summit – The Washington Post
• Military leaders voice concern over Hegseth’s new Pentagon strategy – The Washington Post
• Donald Trump’s “The Enemy Within” speech to the military – Darrin Bell substack
• Journalists at 3 Alaska Newspapers Quit Over Charlie Kirk Story – The New York Times
• White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement to Get Funding Advantage – Wall Street Journal
• Judge: Trump administration unconstitutionally targeted noncitizens over Gaza protests – AP News
• YouTube to Pay $24.5 Million to Settle Lawsuit Brought by Trump – Wall Street Journal
• TikTok deal sparks criticism over foreign involvement and price tag – The Washington Post
• The TikTok deal would turn Trump allies’ dreams of control into reality – MSNBC

Across the Nation

• RFK Jr. is trying to run the same playbook on abortion pills that he just ran on Tylenol – Susan Rinkunas, co-founder of Autonomy News, via MSNBC
• Camerawoman Captures Scott Bessent’s Texts, Exposing White House Panic – The New Republic
• MAGA Is Coming for the WNBA – POLITICO
• Trump’s Rage at Zohran Just Backfired in a Surprisingly Revealing Way – The New Republic
• When Miscarriages Become Crimes – Mother Jones
• Trump opens land for coal mining, offers to boost coal-fired power plants – AP News
• Unexpected Critics of Trump’s Attacks on Wind Energy: Oil Executives – The New York Times