October 10, 2025 •
News You Can Use Digest – October 10, 2025
National/Federal
Bari Weiss to Be Named Top Editor at CBS News
MSN – Will Oremus, Caroline O’Donovan, and Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 10/3/2025
The newly formed media giant Paramount Skydance will acquire the Free Press, an online publication, and install its founder, Bari Weiss, as editor in chief of CBS News. The move heralds a new era at the 98-year-old broadcast network, whose corporate parents made moves to address the Trump administration’s allegations of liberal bias as they sought approval for an $8 billion merger that was finalized in August.
Democrats’ Defiance on Shutdown Shows a New, Tougher Approach to Trump
MSN – Naftali Bendavid and Yasmeen Abutaleb (Washington Post) | Published: 10/4/2025
Democrats’ defiant approach to the current government shutdown reflects a party mood that has shifted dramatically as a growing number of Democrats inside and outside Washington are embracing all-out confrontation with President Trump. Only a few months ago, some leading voices in the party, stunned by Trump’s broad election win, were counseling against picking unnecessary fights or appearing to reject the voters’ will. But in this shutdown battle, and a growing number of political fights around the country, it is harder to find Democrats arguing against forceful resistance.
States Try Getting Tough on Political Violence After Charlie Kirk Killing
MSN – Daniel Han and Natalie Fertig (Politico) | Published: 10/4/2025
Charlie Kirk’s murder spurred efforts to get tough on political violence in statehouses around the country. But states had been grappling with different types of legislation to stem the violence in a year that has been full of it, from the arson attack against Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to the assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. Political violence experts said legislation could be practical in mitigating some acts of violence, though not a panacea.
Trump Officials Keep Talking About DOJ’s Biggest Prosecutions – Putting Cases in Jeopardy
MSN – Erica Orden (Politico) | Published: 10/5/2025
President Trump is deploying the Justice Department to punish and prosecute his perceived enemies and advance his political agenda. But his color commentary, and that of senior members of his administration, about the cases is threatening to derail them in court. Public comments by Trump and high-ranking officials including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have already become flashpoints in high-profile cases.
Justice Department Takes Case Against Trump Supporter to Trial
MSN – James Fanelli (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 10/5/2025
A Justice Department firmly in Donald Trump’s control is in the unusual position of putting on trial one of the president’s supporters and dredging up allegations of Chinese money flowing into his unsuccessful 2020 re-election effort. Prosecutors charged Xinyue Lou during the Biden administration. He is accused of orchestrating a straw-donor scheme to circumvent contribution limits. Prosecutors said he recruited and reimbursed donors to a 2019 fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort with the goal of helping Chinese nationals attend.
MSN – Marisa Taylor and Chris Prentice (Reuters) | Published: 10/6/2025
The Trump appointee accusing the president’s political foes of mortgage fraud skipped over his agency’s inspector general when making criminal referrals, bypassing rules meant to ensure that federal officials do not abuse their power for partisan purposes. Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, earlier this year made criminal referrals against targets including Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor whom President Trump has tried to dismiss, for alleged crimes related to their mortgages.
Judges Appointed by Trump Keep Ruling Against Him. He’s Not Happy About It.
MSN – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 10/6/2025
While President Trump and his allies have spent all year leveling pointed attacks at Democratic judicial appointees, labeling them rogue insurrectionists and radicals, the president is increasingly facing stark rejections from people he put on the bench. The brushbacks have come mainly from District Court judges, who occupy the lowest level of the three-tiered federal judiciary. In some cases in which Trump-appointed judges have heard Trump-related cases, they have delivered sweeping warnings about the expansion of executive power, the erosion of checks and balances and have criticized his attacks on judges writ large.
James Comey Pleads Not Guilty to Criminal Charges Following Trump Pressure to Prosecute
MSN – Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 10/8/2025
Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty in his first appearance in court as a criminal defendant in a case that has roiled the Justice Department and prompted outcry that President Trump is weaponizing criminal charges against his enemies. The judge set a January 5, 2026, trial date. Comey is facing two felony charges stemming from his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, when he discussed leading the FBI amid an investigation into ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
Conservative Push for Charlie Kirk Statues Revives Debate on Memorials
MSN – Kelsey Ables and Katie Tarrant (Washington Post) | Published: 10/8/2025
It was not long after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot that pitches for monuments to the 31-year-old conservative activist began to surface. The push for such monuments, particularly at college campuses, is unusual, experts say. Many figures given statues in the U.S. have been deceased for decades. The effort reflects how Kirk, a star among young conservatives but also divisive for his controversial rhetoric on race, sexuality, and other issues, has been hailed by the right as a kind of martyr.
Trump Is Complicating the GOP’s Anti-Censorship Campaign
MSN – Naomi Nix and Will Oremus (Washington Post) | Published: 10/9/2025
For years, Republicans have denounced tech companies’ policies barring hateful and misleading posts, alleging that a sweeping liberal censorship operation led by the Biden administration was forcing social media platforms to suppress conservative voices. That campaign is running into an awkward new obstacle: President Trump’s efforts to rein in liberal speech.
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s Appeal
MSN – Mark Berman (Washington Post) | Published: 10/6/2025
The Supreme Court said it would not hear Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex-trafficking conviction, declining to consider arguments from the imprisoned associate of deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein that she was improperly prosecuted. The Epstein case and the prosecution of Maxwell have been an issue for the Trump administration for months. The case has long fueled conspiracy theories and speculation, and the decision not to release further Epstein-related files ignited outrage among President Trump’s right-wing base.
Jose Uribe Gets No Jail Time After Cooperating in Menendez Trial
MSN – Kristie Cattafi and Katie Sobko (Bergen Record) | Published: 10/9/2025
The star witness in former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal corruption and bribery trial was sentenced to no jail time after cooperating with the federal prosecutors and pleading guilty to federal charges last year. Jose Uribe, one of three New Jersey businesspeople indicted alongside Menendez, spent several days during Menendez’s trial testifying against the then-senator and admitted bribing him. Instead of prison, Uribe was sentenced to home detention for six months and three years of supervision.
Trump Fires Black Officials from an Overwhelmingly White Administration
Seattle Times – Elisabeth Bumiller and Erica Green (New York Times) | Published: 10/8/2025
There have been a series of firings of Black officials from high-profile positions in an overwhelmingly white Trump administration that has banished all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government. While there are no statistics on firings by race, an examination of the people Trump is appointing to fill those and other jobs shows a stark trend. Of President Trump’s 98 Senate-confirmed appointees to the administration’s most senior leadership roles in its first 200 days, only two, or two percent, are Black.
From the States and Municipalities
The Trillum – Charlie Pinkerton and Jack Hauen | Published: 10/8/2025
Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini attended the wedding of a lobbyist after his office awarded the lobbyist’s clients millions of dollars through a training fund program the province’s auditor general recently described as “not fair, transparent or accountable.” Piccini, who has final say over who receives money through the $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund, was in Paris to attend the wedding of Michael Rudderham, a lobbyist and longtime friend of the minister.
California – Favors & Deals at CapRadio
MSN – Ishani Desai (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 10/6/2025
Two influential Capital Public Radio (CapRadio) leaders skirted guardrails intended to fortify the nonprofit against ethical lapses and steered $1.1 million in contracts to a former board treasurer’s company. Western Contract, a company owned by Bill Yee, who was CapRadio’s board treasurer, secured two deals with CapRadio, the first for about $126,000 and the second for roughly $992,000. Records show Yee offered personal favors to Jun Reina, who was CapRadio’s chief financial officer, while brokering these transactions and succeeded in bypassing the competitive bid process.
California – Nonprofit Wins Ruling Over S.F. in Bribery Probe; City Officials Call Decision ‘Bizarre’
Yahoo News – Michael Barba (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 10/9/2025
A San Francisco nonprofit accused of misappropriating public dollars and bribing a former city official will not be barred from doing business with the city, an official ruled in the administrative case against the organization. The ruling by hearing officer Andrea McGary in the case against Collective Impact is the first significant legal decision in the yearslong episode surrounding the nonprofit and its ties to Sheryl Davis, the former executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
Colorado – Denver Board of Ethics ‘Appalled’ by Denver International Airport Spending on Overseas Conference
MSN – Brian Maass (KCNC) | Published: 10/3/2025
The city’s Board of Ethics cleared Denver International Airport and its chief executive officer, Phil Washington, of an ethics violation related to a trip to a conference in Madrid earlier this year. But the board said it was “appalled by both the amount of funds that were expended for this conference and by Mr. Washington’s seemingly cavalier attitude in responding to this complaint.”
Connecticut – Kosta Diamantis Bribery Trial Begins Following Multiyear Probe
Connecticut Public Radio – Andrew Brown (CT Mirror) | Published: 10/6/2025
The federal criminal trial of Konstantinos Diamantis, a former state deputy budget director who is accused of using his position overseeing Connecticut’s school building program to solicit tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from construction contractors, has begun. The trial is the culmination of a nearly four-year investigation into Diamantis, a former Democratic lawmaker who climbed to the highest levels of the state government before he became the target of the criminal probe in 2021.
District of Columbia – The Trump-Epstein Statue Is Back on the National Mall, Days After Its Abrupt Removal
NPR – Rachel Treisman | Published: 10/3/2025
A statue of President Trump skipping hand-in-hand with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has returned to the District of Columbia’s National Mall, over a week after it was abruptly removed in the pre-dawn hours. Trump has sought to downplay his friendship with the disgraced financier, who died in jail in August 2019.
Hawaii – Senator Voted for Bills Backed by Lobbyists He’s Going to Work For
Honolulu Civil Beat – Chad Blair and Blaze Lovell | Published: 10/5/2025
State Sen. Henry Aquino is stepping down to go to work for one of the biggest lobbying firms in the state after serving in the Hawaii Legislature for 17 years. In the 2025 legislative session, Hawaii Public Policy Advocates backed two dozen bills before Aquino’s Labor and Technology Committee, which voted to approve more than a third of them. It is Aquino’s legislative experience that may be of the most interest to a business like Hawaii Public Policy Advocates with wide-ranging interests.
Hawaii – Dark Money Group Blankets Maui in Ads to Influence Vacation Rental Bill
Honolulu Civil Beat – Erin Nolan | Published: 10/7/2025
For months, a District of Columbia-based group called Progress Action has been spending thousands of dollars to inundate Maui residents with radio and online advertisements warning that Mayor Richard Bissen’s plan to phase out about half the island’s short-term rentals would be “a failure and a mistake.” Records that are available indicate Progress Action is a PAC or nonprofit that is effectively skirting state campaign finance laws and lobbying disclosure requirements that could normally provide greater transparency.
Illinois – Illinois Sues to Block Trump’s National Guard Deployment to Chicago
MSN – Ben Szalinski, Brenden Moore, and Hannah Meisel (Capitol News Illinois) | Published: 10/6/2025
Illinois and Chicago filed a federal lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s planned deployment of National Guard troops to the state, a move Gov. JB Pritzker called an “invasion.” Trump pushed forward with the plan to activate hundreds of National Guard soldiers, including some from Texas, despite monthslong opposition from state and local leaders, as well as objections from civic and business groups in the city.
MSN – John Fritze (CNN) | Published: 10/8/2025
A majority of the Supreme Court indicated it will back a Republican member of Congress from Illinois who is challenging a state law that allows mail ballots to be received after Election Day, a decision that would let him proceed with a potentially explosive lawsuit that lower courts had rejected. Rep. Michael Bost’s appeal is not focused on the ballot issue itself but rather it raises the question of whether federal candidates may sue over election regulations, even if, as in Bost’s case, they represent a safe district and are highly favored to win election.
Illinois – Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin Will Pay $30,000 to Settle Ethics Cases
Yahoo News – Gregory Royal Pratt (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 10/2/2025
Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin will pay a $30,000 fine to settle two ethics cases stemming from findings that she misused taxpayer resources for personal and political purposes and improperly fired whistleblowers. The Chicago Board of Ethics found Conyears-Ervin violated the city’s ethics ordinance 12 times and issued the maximum fine of $60,000, or $5,000 per breach.
Indiana – Undisclosed Conflicts, Contracts with Donors, Lavish Travel: What the IEDC audit found
Yahoo News – Kayla Dwyer and Hayleigh Colombo (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 10/2/2025
Gov. Mike Braun’s administration unveiled the results of an audit into the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), the quasi-governmental organization that drives economic strategy for Indiana, finding a “lack of transparency and accountability in the management of state funds” by third parties and raising concerns about “the potential for favoritism and misuse of public funds.” Some areas of concern overlap with the findings in an Indianapolis Star investigation, which unveiled that a top executive at the IEDC was part of decisions to award millions in grant money to entities he or two of his business associates were involved in.
Iowa – ICE Arrest Reveals Hidden Past of an Iowa Schools Superintendent
MSN – Marianne LeVine (Washington Post) | Published: 10/5/2025
When the Des Moines School Board announced former Olympic athlete Ian Roberts as superintendent in 2023, he was praised as a “career educator” and a “proven champion for creating equitable opportunities for all students to thrive.” Now, his tenure at Iowa’s largest school district has come to an abrupt end. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Roberts, surprising the education world by revealing him as an undocumented immigrant with a final order of deportation.
Kansas – Wichita City Council Candidate Returns Campaign Cash Amid Confusion Over Finance Rules
MSN – Chance Swaim (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 10/7/2025
The Kansas Legislature voted in March to increase limits for political contributions from $500 to $2,000 for large city elections, and Gov. Laura Kelly signed it into law in early April. But a Wichita city ordinance that was in place before the changes caps contributions for city council candidates at $500. The conflicting rules have led to controversy.
Massachusetts – Mike Kennealy Plans to Continue Ignoring Mass. Loan Limit Law, Lawyer Tells Regulators
MSN – Chris Van Buskirk (Boston Herald) | Published: 10/7/2025
Gubernatorial hopeful Mike Kennealy plans to continue ignoring a Massachusetts law that limits the amount of cash a candidate for governor can loan themselves for each election, even after regulators asked him multiple times to reclassify hundreds of thousands of dollars that he has loaned his campaign. Kennealy pledged to seed his campaign with $2 million in loans. But the loans, including $200,000 he recently gave his campaign, have started to draw scrutiny from state regulators because of a law that limits candidate loans to $200,000 per election cycle.
Michigan – Oakland Co. Executive Moves to Strengthen Ethics Policies Among Officials After Backlash
Detroit News – Max Bryan | Published: 10/3/2025
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter is moving to strengthen the county’s ethics policies after backlash about the chair of the board of commissioners working as a paid outside consultant for private firms and a contract that was awarded to a county employee. Coulter’s announcement comes after some county commissioners and Oakland County residents raised concerns about Board of Commissioners Chairperson Dave Woodward working as a paid consultant for Sheetz.
Oklahoma – Oklahoma Ethics Commission Investigating Ryan Walters Again Over Possible Ethics Violations
MSN – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 10/7/2025
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is investigating Ryan Walters – again. Walters resigned as state schools superintendent recently to become the chief executive officer of a new nonprofit organization called the Teacher Freedom Alliance. The commission revealed it is actively investigating potential violations of its conflict of interest rule “as related to … Walters’ departure.”
Oklahoma – Oklahoma Campaign Finance Site Offline for Weeks as State Revamps System
Yahoo News – Alex Gladden (Oklahoman) | Published: 10/4/2025
Oklahoma’s website for campaign finance reports remains offline after a new launch of the site fell behind schedule. Lee Anne Bruce Boone, the executive director of the state Ethics Commission, has not yet said when the system will be back online.
Oregon – Judge Deals Trump New Setback in Plans to Deploy Troops to Portland
MSN – Holly Bailey, Praveena Somasundaram, Joseph Menn, and Aaron Schaffer (Washington Post) | Published: 10/6/2025
A federal judge dealt another blow to the Trump administration’s plans to send troops to Portland, temporarily blocking hundreds of California National Guard members as they were deploying to Oregon’s biggest city over objections from Democratic governors in both states. U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut said the government appeared to be directly defying her previous temporary restraining order from a day earlier blocking the administration from sending Oregon’s National Guard to the city by instead deploying members of California’s Guard.
Texas – Former Lawmaker Sent $450K in Unspent Funds to His Own Charity
MSN – Taylor Goldenstein (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 10/7/2025
Like many outgoing members of the Texas House, Rep. Chris Paddie in 2022 still had unspent campaign money he would need to offload in the coming years – in his case, $450,000. Under state law, he could either return that money to donors, give it to political causes, donate it to a charity, or surrender it to the state treasury. Paddie opted for charity, but not just any. The same day he resigned, he filed paperwork to launch his own nonprofit, and three weeks later he transferred $450,000 to the newly formed Paddie Family Foundation.
Texas – Texas GOP Lawyer and Former FEC Chair Trey Trainor Announces Run for Chip Roy’s Seat in Congress
MSN – Gabby Birenbaum (Texas Tribune) | Published: 10/6/2025
Trey Trainor, a longtime Republican operative and former chairperson of the FEC, launched a bid for the 21st Congressional District in Texas, setting up a competitive GOP primary for the open seat. Trainor, who has decades of experience in the state’s conservative legal movement, is running to succeed Rep. Chip Roy, who is giving up his seat to run for Texas attorney general. The district is situated in the Hill Country and contains parts of Austin and San Antonio.
Yahoo News – John Lomax V and Matt Zdun (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 10/5/2025
A Houston Chronicle analysis of campaign finance reports from January 1 to June 30 of this year indicates that Harris County commissioners’ campaigns are funded largely through contributions made by individuals and businesses that contract or work with the county. Commissioners are not directly involved in awarding contracts, but they do vote to approve contracts presented at meetings. Support from at least three of the five commissioners is also needed to hire or fire department heads, who have a more direct hand in selecting county contracts.
Utah – Lawmakers in Utah Pass New Congressional Map Aimed at Preserving GOP Power
MSN – Patrick Marley and Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 10/6/2025
Republican lawmakers in Utah adopted a GOP-leaning congressional map, diminishing Democrats’ hopes of gaining a House seat in the conservative state. The Legislature was compelled to redraw its map after a judge ruled the one it approved four years ago violated the state constitution. Democrats hoped the ruling would give them an advantage in one of the state’s four House seats, which are all held by Republicans. The new map, which still needs court approval, could result in more competitive races, but the GOP retained an advantage in all four districts.
Vermont – Vermont’s Legislators Don’t Have to Disclose Gifted Trips
Seven Days – Hannah Bassett | Published: 10/8/2025
Five state representatives from Vermont were among 250 lawmakers from around the country that attended a conference in Israel that promised to offer an “in-depth exploration of Israel’s leadership, society, heritage and spirit of innovation,” according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry paid the participants’ expenses of $6,500 per person. Despite its high price tag and Israel’s effort to woo participants, neither the Vermont lawmakers nor the foreign ministry were required to disclose anything about the trip or the gifts provided to make it possible, such as compensated airfare, hotel stays, or meals.
Virginia – Democratic Candidate’s ‘Abhorrent’ Texts Threaten to Shake Up Bellwether Virginia Elections
MSN – Gregory Svirnovskiy (Politico) | Published: 10/4/2025
A string of text messages from Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democratic nominee for attorney general, where he mused about violence directed toward a political rival is triggering widespread backlash and threatening to shake up the state’s November election. In August 2022, Jones wrote about shooting then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert in text messages he sent to state Del. Carrie Coyner. Jones publicly apologized for the messages.
Virginia – Financial Disclosure Gaps, Questionable Gifts Cloud Earle-Sears’ Bid for Governor
Yahoo News – Markus Schmidt (Virginia Mercury) | Published: 10/8/2025
Virginia gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears built her political brand on transparency and accountability. Her public filings reveals a pattern of omissions and inconsistencies in her financial disclosures, including a $12,000 “gift” far above the state’s legal limit. The records show Earle-Sears, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2022, repeatedly failed to disclose gifts and travel benefits as required under state law, and in several instances amended her filings only after watchdogs or reporters raised questions.
Wisconsin – Wisconsin GOP Bill Aims to Clamp Down on Credit Card Campaign Contributions
Wisconsin Public Radio – Rich Kremer | Published: 10/9/2025
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are pushing a bill to bar any political party or candidate from accepting online credit card donations unless the contributor provides a verification code and U.S. address. The bill is part of growing right-wing scrutiny of the Democratic fundraising juggernaut ActBlue, fueled in large part by President Trump. ActBlue has called the allegations politically motivated.
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