Blue 812 News Issue 41 - October 12

Oct 12, 2025

shutdown…chitown…courtbound…

bayh son…sakbun…voter suppression…

disabuse how-tos…things to do…some good news

Both Republicans and Democrats remain dug in on their positions, so the government remains shutdown. The Trump administration began mass federal layoffs on Friday, escalating the situation and heaping more pressure on Democrats. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other top Republicans privately warned the White House against firing federal employees and cutting government assistance programs.

The Senate has been voting repeatedly on competing CR proposals to reopen the government. For a brief moment on Thursday, it seemed like Senate Majority Leader Thune was open to a plan that would promise Democrats a standalone vote extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange for voting to open the government. But the idea didn’t come to fruition, and Thune sent senators home for the weekend, to come back on Tuesday. At that point, the shutdown will have lasted two full weeks.

The House isn’t in at all and hasn’t taken a single vote. Speaker Mike Johnson’s position has been that House Republicans did their job, and now it’s on Senate Democrats to support the House-passed GOP CR, but there’ve also been concerns from the House GOP about members returning to Washington and derailing the messaging.

They have good reason for those fears, as earlier this week, Marjorie Taylor Greene broken-clocked out an angry tweet: “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!” … falling squarely in line with talking points from the Democrats, who are refusing to reopen the government unless Republicans extend subsidies.

Democrats seem baffled, but they welcome her support. “It’s the first time I’ve ever agreed with her, but she’s right on this issue,” Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. A Democratic Senate aide read my mind by saying “I disagree with MTG on basically everything, but on this, it’s clear she’s reading the room. She knows people in her district are about to get slammed with insane prices for health insurance and is trying to distance herself from it. But thing is, this is on her too — she’s getting exactly what she voted for.”

President Trump’s brazen assault on Chicago is the stuff of authoritarian nightmares. The White House claims that the nation’s third-largest city is overrun by crime, in clear opposition of what are being called ‘facts,’ and the commander-in-chief is ramping up pressure. Immigration agents are already terrorizing citizens with military-style tactics, including a Black Hawk helicopter raid on an apartment building and using smoke grenades and tear gas in city streets. Trump has threatened to unleash his so-called “Department of WAR” on the liberal stronghold.

However, on Thursday U.S. District Judge April Perry ordered Trump and his troops to cool their boots. Perry temporarily blocked the deployment of National Guard troops from Texas to the Windy City, saying the order violates the Constitution and will “only add fuel to the fire that the defendants themselves have started.” She also accused the Department of Homeland Security of lying about crime in the city, which raises “significant doubt on DHS’s credibility on what is going on in the streets of Chicago.”

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a partial stay of Perry’s decision on October 11, allowing the federal government to maintain control of National Guard troops but blocking their physical deployment in Illinois — including Chicago

Judges aren’t the only ones fed up with the administration’s authoritarian antics. Other Republicans are also shaking their heads in dismay. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK), chair of the National Governors Association, spots the hypocrisy his own party is bringing to this controversy: “Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration,” Stitt told the New York Times. “As a federalist believer, one governor against another governor, I don’t think that’s the right way to approach this.”

Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) has also criticized Trump for the deployments: “From what I’m seeing, I just think it’s unnecessary. It further divides and threatens people,” Scott said Thursday. Other Republicans like Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have likewise expressed disapproval. Stitt and the others see the writing on the wall: The majority of Americans aren’t into using armed troops to fight crime, especially when there’s no external threat, according to multiple polls released this week.

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Last week, Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing a congressional hearing and false statements (Those charges appear especially hypocritical in light of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s disastrous hearing yesterday.) and His trial is set to begin in January, and, according to prosecutors, a central witness’s testimony seems to disprove that Comey knowingly provided false statements to Congress and would result in “likely insurmountable problems” for the prosecution. Comey said he will try to have the case dismissed on the grounds of “vindictive prosecution.”

Another Trump target was indicted last week: New York Attorney General Letitia James on a bank fraud charge. Even if she did do something wrong (the TL;DR is that either she or someone else incorrectly marked one of her homes as a “primary residence,” which saved her a whopping $18,000), this type of case is almost always handled civilly, not criminally. This prosecution seems very obviously to be another part of Trump’s retribution campaign. And we know this because Trump publicly called on his Justice Department to charge her.

After the president threatens the target for years, campaigns for re-election on exacting retribution against the target, orders an indictment of the target, ousts a prosecutor for not following orders, and installs his personal lawyer as prosecutor, then there’s an air of inevitability about the subsequent indictment.

But as Garrett Graff noted in the New York Times before the James indictment, that’s the problem: “The fact that it’s possible to predict the next target — presidential rantings indicate that it could be John Bolton, Letitia James or Adam Schiff — shows how corrupted this usually independent process has become.”

In a surprise to exactly no one, news broke Saturday that John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump turned prominent Trump critic, is expected to be charged with federal crimes possibly within days, according to two federal officials with knowledge of the investigation.

The FBI already conducted searches of Bolton’s Maryland home and his DC office in August. A source familiar with the matter told NBC News at the time that the searches were part of a “national security investigation in search of classified records.” Lowell, Bolton’s lawyer, has repeatedly said that documents with classified markings kept by Bolton dated back to the George W. Bush administration, when Bolton served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and would be typical of those kept by a long-time government employee. You would think after the searches of Trump, Biden and Pence properties for confidential documents, everyone who ever worked in the government took a look through their own files…

Trump publicly called for Bolton to be prosecuted in June 2020 after the then-former national security adviser wrote an unflattering book about his experience working for Trump, which went through an unusual prepublication review process.

Need more convincing? Here’s another example of the egregious actions of the current administration: the Oct 3rd ruling by a federal judge in Tennessee that there is a “realistic likelihood” that the Trump Justice Department’s criminal prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is vindictive. The ruling opens the door for Abrego Garcia to conduct discovery into the administration’s motives for prosecuting him on charges of human smuggling in a case that had been dormant since a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, but was reopened after Abrego Garcia successfully challenged his wrongful deportation to El Salvador.

What’s especially striking about Judge Crenshaw’s ruling is that he is mostly willing to accept that the local U.S. Attorney’s Office itself did not act with malice or bad faith in bringing the case against Abrego Garcia, but he is unconvinced that higher-ups in the administration, most particularly Deputy AG Todd Blanche, were acting in good faith.

After months of speculation, Beau Bayh has officially announced his run for Indiana Secretary of State. The 29-year-oldBayh’s resume spans institutions like Harvard Law, the U.S. Marine Corp. and the U.S. Court of Appeals, and it doesn’t hurt that his father, Evan, and grandfather, Birch, were among some of the most popular Hoosier Democrats in recent memory. Also, he’s not unattractive.

Bayh is running against current Secretary of State Diego Morales, who beat his previous opponent by 14 percentage points and tops the state in travel expenditures. Morales wasted no time in criticizing his new opponent on social media, for checks notes leaving Indiana to attend the #1 ranked university in the world, and the #6 ranked law school. We all get jealous, Diego.

Before facing Morales, Bayh must win his own party’s nomination against Blythe Potter. Each party’s nominees will be chosen at conventions in the summer of 2026 by elected delegates and then the Republican and Democratic candidates will face off in the fall. Dive into the dynamics of the race at IndyStar and read more about why Bayh decided to run in this IndyStar opinion column by James Briggs.

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is considering a MAGA proposal that would require voters to “show papers,” like passports, before registering to vote. Pro-democracy organizations are warning that this proposal could disenfranchise some 21 million Americans, while doing nothing about voter fraud, which is inconsequentially rare in the United States. The EAC is taking public comment on this proposal. Let’s express our opposition by commenting here at regulations.gov. We can find sample language to use here from Chop Wood, Carry Water and here from Free Speech for People, but let’s remember that the more we personalize our message, the more impact it will have.

On Friday, VP JD Vance came to Indiana again to pressure Republicans in the state legislature to gerrymander our maps mid-decade at the behest of Donald Trump. It’s Vance’s second visit in just over two months. Unlike in Missouri and Texas, the administration has found issues convincing the Republican lawmakers in the Hoosier state to bow to the President on this issue. IndyStar is reporting that some GOP lawmakers are hesitant to re-rig the state. A new poll from North Star Opinion Research on behalf of Independent Indiana found that 53% of Indiana registered voters oppose a GOP effort to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms, a move that would potentially eliminate two seats held by Democrats. Let’s keep up the pressure!

State Rep: 317-232-9600 | State Sen: 317-232-9400 | Gov. Braun: 317-232-4567

feeling REALLY fired up? Join INDems to get others to call their reps:

Every week, Democrats are calling hundreds of Hoosiers to tell them to contact their state legislators and say they oppose this gerrymandering scheme. It’s been successful – lawmakers across the state continue to hear from Hoosiers like YOU that are against the brazen plot to rig our elections. Sign up to join!

A multi-media campaign is rolling out across Colorado aimed at educating viewers about the importance of a free and independent press. “Free Press, Free Country” includes a broadcast documentary, short video segments, a social media campaign, and more. This is a welcome effort at a time when many voters have lost trust in journalism, fake news abounds, and real news is being punished by the federal government - one that could provide a model to other states.

Worried about falling for fake news? This Thursday, October 16, 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM ET, Red, Wine & Blue is hosting a virtual seminar: Disinformation 101: How to Identify and Fight It.

Distinguishing real news from fake can be challenging today with bots spreading disinfo far and wide, deep fakes on our feeds and the amplification of bad information by influencers. We all see the impact that disinformation has on politics in our country. Are you ready to take a stand and fight back against it? Join Red, Wine, and Blue to learn what exactly is disinformation, how to recognize it and what we can do to fight its spread. More info & register here.

Nasty Women - Vigo County calendar | Indivisible Wabash Valley calendar

Monday, October 13th at 5pm: VigoDem’s Pasta and Politics dinner with special guest James Carville at Operating Engineers Local 841 from 5-8pm. $50 tickets and more info here.

Tuesday, October 14th at 11am: Border Czar Tom Homan speaks at “Fairness for Hoosiers: The Need for State Action on Immigration” luncheon hosted by Indiana AG Rokita and State Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Winchester” Protest this MAGA Event 11 am - 2 pm at the Indiana Statehouse Luncheon runs from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the South Atrium of the Indiana Statehouse. *When protesting inside the statehouse, remember that signs must be no bigger than 24”x 24” and must not be affixed to sticks.

Tuesday, October 14th at 3pm: Mingle with the Mayor at Grand Traverse Pie Co. At this informal and relaxed gathering, various topics will be covered each month with opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns. Free pie and coffee will be served courtesy of Clinton Gardens.

Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30: Postcards and Popcorn. “The first one was such a success - 132 postcards were sent to elected officials - that another event is being planned: POSTCARDS AND POPCORN. plenty of free parking, postcards and postage will be provided, as well as addresses and pens. Or you can being your own blank postcards.” 6:30-7:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Fruitridge.

Saturday, October 18th at 12pm: On October 18, residents of Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley will join millions across the country to say loud and clear: No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. Vigo County Courthouse, 12 - 2pm. More info & register here.

Pope Leo used his first major document to call on the world to help immigrants, in a thinly veiled critique of the Trump administration. “Where the world sees threats, [the Church] sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges,” Leo wrote, referencing Pope Francis’s criticism of Trump as “not Christian” due to his U.S.-Mexico border wall plan.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology publicly rebuked the Trump administration’s offer to receive preferential federal funding if it signs a deal to comply with the Education Department’s radical policies on hiring, campus policies and admissions. “In our view, America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence,” MIT President Sally Kornbluth said in a statement. “In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences.” mic drop

Dolly Parton confirmed that she is, in fact, alive. “Everybody thinks that I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you?!” Parton said in a video, appearing very healthy. “I’m not ready to die yet!” The scare came after her sister posted on Facebook, asking for prayers for the country star. She apologized for the incident: “It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister.”

The Supreme Court denied a review of Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal conviction. She will remain behind bars, unless Trump pardons her.

A group of former USAID staff launched a new “matchmaking” project that has secured new funding for almost 80 programs impacted by funding cuts, benefiting an estimated 40 million people.

Hundreds could be freed from ICE custody after warrantless arrest ruling.

Trump did NOT win the Nobel Peace Prize.

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

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