Blue 812 News Issue 38 - Sept. 21

Sep 21, 2025

The biggest story of the week continues to be Trump’s attacks on free speech. When comedian Stephen Colbert’s show was cancelled in July, President Donald Trump all but clapped his tiny hands in a spasm of authoritarian delight. “I hear Jimmy Kimmel’s next!” Trump gushed. On Wednesday night, Trump got his wish: Kimmel’s show was put on indefinite pause by ABC, after Kimmel made the following comment: “The MAGA gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” Currently, 'no evidence' has been found yet of ties between Charlie Kirk's shooting and left-wing groups.

Even before Kimmel got sidelined, Trump’s Federal Communications Committee chair, Brendan Carr appeared on a right-wing podcast (interestingly, one of the pods that got “duped” into taking millions to create content for the Kremlin last year), warning ABC and other companies the FCC regulates to “find ways to take action against Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” He added ominously: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

Thursday, Trump said he also wanted the FCC to revoke the broadcast licenses of anyone who is mean to him. According to The New York Times: “[Trump] is now conducting the most punishing government crackdown against major American media institutions in modern times.” House Democratic leaders released a statement accusing Carr of a “corrupt abuse of power” that “will not be forgotten” if Democrats take back House control, but Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries mentioned no move to hold Carr accountable by, let’s say, impeaching Carr and forcing Republicans to cast a vote for or against government censorship.

But this administration is not content to change contemporary news; it also wants to rewrite history. Case in point: the Department of Justice recently removed a study that found that far-right extremists commit “far more” violence than their left-wing counterparts. Honestly, they should have left it up. This administration is so incompetent that they should be bragging about ANYTHING the far right can do well.

The Trump Admin has also continued to threaten crackdowns on all kinds of leftie/liberal groups, in the guise of going after antifa. According to The Wall Street Journal: “Among the actions being discussed by the president’s team: reviewing the tax-exempt status of left-leaning nonprofit groups and targeting them with anticorruption laws.” Anti-corruption? Sorry, let me just check how much Trump has made on crypto since he took office.

VSpehr of Under the Desk News made a great, short, shareable explainer on why this all is ‘bigger than Jimmy’.

Over the last couple of days, we have seen signs that Trump’s campaign to politicize the Justice Department and prosecute his political enemies is going into overdrive.

First, Trump pressured the well-respected U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, to resign because of his unwillingness to bring charges, despite insufficient evidence against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director Jim Comey.

Second, the President publicly chastised Attorney General Pam Bondi for not aggressively going after other political opponents as part of a vengeance campaign related to the prosecutions for Trump’s crimes. The President’s message to Bondi came in the form of a bizarre post on Truth Social (now deleted), which reads like a direct message that was inadvertently posted publicly.

**Not the biggest issue, but this does raise questions about whether the President is communicating with cabinet secretaries via direct messages. From an information-security standpoint, this is insanely risky. Every foreign intelligence agency in the world probably has its eyes on everything happening on Truth Social. Additionally, this would be a massive evasion of the Presidential Records Act.

Relatedly, on Thursday, a group of congressional Democrats introduced the No Political Enemies Act, which enhances legal protections for individuals targeted by Trump. Unfortunately, it has no chance of passing, but let’s get caught trying. According to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “They aren’t even hiding what they’re trying to do…This is a standard format for every budding despot.” “Budding?” Optimistic!

Third we learned that Tom Homan, the person in charge of Trump’s mass deportation effort, was previously under FBI investigation for bribery. In an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help the agents — who were posing as business executives — win government contracts in a second Trump administration. The FBI and DOJ planned to wait and see whether Homan would deliver on his alleged promise once he became the nation’s top immigration official, but the case indefinitely stalled soon after Donald Trump became president again in January, according to six sources familiar with the matter.

A recent YouGov poll found that half the country believes Trump is directing the Justice Department to go after his political enemies. More importantly, 61% of Americans think Trump would not be justified in directing the Justice Department to go after his political enemies.

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At least three dozen teachers, professors, or school staffers nationwide have left their jobs or been fired for alleged social media comments after Charlie Kirk’s murder, according to an NBC News analysis. The backlash is part of a right-wing movement to punish people who allegedly made light of Kirk’s death. Here in Indiana, online campaigns designed to oust those caught celebrating or mocking Kirk's death have been successful, spurring the resignation of an Indiana Department of Child Services lawyer and at least two teachers, and a firing at Ball State.

ISU has cautioned employees to 'avoid public commentary' on Kirk's killing. Indiana State Attorney General Todd Rokita added a "Charlie Kirk Submissions" section to his "Eyes on Education" portal. Now, Gov. Mike Braun is talking about revoking certain teachers' licenses. Good thing there is a surplus of teachers in the state!

Braun said Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner has the authority to revoke or suspend K-12 teachers’ licenses. Jenner’s office will review reported statements made by K-12 teachers and administrators that “celebrate or incite political violence.” State code does give the secretary discretion to suspend or revoke a license for immorality, misconduct in office, incompetency, or willful neglect of duty. More at Indiana Public Media.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued Indiana State University, claiming a First Amendment violation for the school’s halt to funding work-study student employees at the Pride Center of Terre Haute. According to a complaint filed in US District Court on Monday, ISU had paid students to work at the Pride Center since 2022, and four students were employed by the center in August before ISU decided to cut funding for their positions.

ISU claims the funding was cut to comply with DOJ guidance to avoid supporting positions or programs “that allocate benefits or roles based on protected characteristics, including sexual orientation or gender identity.” Pushing back on that interpretation, the Pride Center clarifies that both the hiring practices and services offered by the Pride Center, which include health education and referrals, HIV testing, education seminars, and community activities, are open to all people, without regard to gender identity or sexual orientation.

This is the second time the ACLU has represented the Pride Center in a lawsuit against ISU. The center attempted to hold its annual Pride Fest on campus, but the university would not host the LGBTQ+-centered festival. More at Indiana Public Media.

This week, Governor Mike Braun went on the radio in Fort Wayne to say that there would be "consequences" for Indiana, and that our state would lose out on "benefits" if state Republicans don't call a special session to redraw the maps and rig the 2026 elections in our state.

It's the clearest sign yet that pressure is building on Indiana Republicans to redraw the maps, and Braun hinted that a special session is likely in November, despite state leaders in the House and Senate remaining quiet when asked by media or constituents.

According to IndyStar, Braun currently doesn't have the votes he needs to feel confident in calling a special session for redistricting. BUT he says if the votes are there, he'll do it, and he believes they'll get there. We’ve got to keep the pressure on!

The Indiana ACLU recently posted that the most effective time to advocate with your legislators is between now and the end of October. There are so many things we can reach out about - utility rate hikes, poor roads, the erosion of our democracy - but the Progressive Caucus Center released a new toolkit that helps constituents connect with their elected officials, share their stories, and advocate for the policies they care about. The guide is geared towards national politics, but the underlying theory is the same. It’s a great, step-by-step guide to working for progress.

Nasty Women - Vigo County calendar | Indivisible Wabash Valley calendar

Wednesday, September 24th at 6pm: A special council meeting set regarding the 2026 budget. The public is allowed to attend, but there will be no public comment and no vote.

Thursday, September 25th at 5pm: Rally with Indivisible outside the Ronald Reagan Dinner. The Red Barn at Sycamore Farm at 5:30 PM 5001 Poplar St., Terre Haute, IN. No gerrymandering. No rigged recipes. Just fair maps. Register here.

Monday, September 29th at 6pm: Vigo County School Board meeting at 501 W. Olive Street - Boardroom. More info here.

Tuesday, September 30th at 5pm: Public information meeting hosted by the Indiana Department of Transportation. at South High School 5-7pm. This meeting is an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the future of 12.5 miles of the U.S. 41 corridor from Harlan Avenue to East Haythorne Avenue in Vigo County.” More info here.

Thursday, October 2nd at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall. The city council will vote on the 2026 budget.

A federal judge tossed out Trump’s $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Times and several of its reporters just days after it was filed. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday called Trump’s filing a “tedious” “megaphone for public relations” puffing up Trump’s accomplishments on “The Apprentice” and beyond, but containing no real evidence.

The ozone layer is healing nicely, and the hole over the Antarctic may be entirely closed in a matter of decades, according to a new report. Shout out to the Montreal Protocol of 1987! Sometimes we can do stuff, y’know?

The new @whitehouse TikTok account has largely turned into an anti-Trump message board as haters bombard the comments with reactions like “most corrupt president ever.”

California bans most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations.

The UK, Canada, and Australia formally recognize a Palestinian state, breaking with the U.S.

Trump's time in the White House runs out in:

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