November 21, 2025
Politics
The DNC took out a $15 million loan, an unusually large amount of debt for this point in the political calendar.
California ex-police chief tells of colleagues’ racist harassment
The Guardian - The embattled former police chief of Vallejo, a San Francisco Bay Area city that has attracted national attention over police violence, has said that he endured a steady procession of racist remarks from colleagues and online harassment and threats that ultimately led him to resign.
By the time Chief Shawny Williams tendered his resignation in 2022, he said he had received a slew of threats – at his office, at his home, and in his email inbox. Most demanded he step down. But even after resigning, the threats still came by mail to his home and a second property he owned outside the state.
“They were hostile, toxic,” Williams testified in a deposition on Wednesday. “I had safety concerns.”
Williams made the statements as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Vallejo police department brought by Deyana Jenkins, whom officers pulled from a car and tased during a traffic stop in 2019. The incident occurred months after six Vallejo police officers shot her uncle, Willie McCoy, a 20-year-old rapper, 55 times while he was asleep in his car. The killing attracted widespread attention and thrust a spotlight on the department’s use of force.
By the time Chief Shawny Williams tendered his resignation in 2022, he said he had received a slew of threats – at his office, at his home, and in his email inbox. Most demanded he step down. But even after resigning, the threats still came by mail to his home and a second property he owned outside the state.
“They were hostile, toxic,” Williams testified in a deposition on Wednesday. “I had safety concerns.”
Williams made the statements as part of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Vallejo police department brought by Deyana Jenkins, whom officers pulled from a car and tased during a traffic stop in 2019. The incident occurred months after six Vallejo police officers shot her uncle, Willie McCoy, a 20-year-old rapper, 55 times while he was asleep in his car. The killing attracted widespread attention and thrust a spotlight on the department’s use of force.
Ukraine
Bloomberg - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed to work on a peace plan crafted
by Russia and the US that would force Ukraine to cede key territory,
abandon its NATO ambitions, and hold elections within 100 days. Greece’s
prime minister called it “problematic” and the UK’s Keir Starmer said any proposal must have Kyiv’s consent. European leaders will hold a call with Zelenskiy to discuss the proposal.
Meanwhile. . .
NBC News - An original copy of the first edition of the first "Superman" comic from 1939 — which had been lying undiscovered in an attic for decades — was sold at auction for more than $9 million, thought to be highest price paid for a comic book.
NPR - A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences quantifies how little plastic a marine animal has to ingest for it to be lethal. For an Atlantic puffin, it takes less than three sugar cubes’ worth of plastic
Climate change
NPR - The planet has warmed about 1.3 degrees Celsius, according to the World
Meteorological Organization. Communities are already experiencing more
severe storms, flooding, and heatwaves. Scientists warn that when the
planet heats up beyond 1.5 degrees, there could be massive,
self-reinforcing changes that could have devastating impacts worldwide.
These changes are sometimes referred to as climate tipping points. They
can unfold over decades or centuries and may be partially reversible.
But they all have enormous and lasting implications for life on Earth.
Here are some of the most important and well-studied changes:
💧 Coral reefs have been dying around the globe. They are very
sensitive to heat, and their loss would destabilize many countries.
Numerous people rely on them for food, income and livelihoods. Marine
life that can only be found on these reefs would be at risk of
extinction.
💧 Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica could melt and result in the rise of sea levels around the world.
💧 Permanently frozen ground in the Arctic is thawing, which can cause the land to sink, resulting in cracks in the foundations of buildings, buckling of roads and the kinking of pipelines.
💧 Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica could melt and result in the rise of sea levels around the world.
💧 Permanently frozen ground in the Arctic is thawing, which can cause the land to sink, resulting in cracks in the foundations of buildings, buckling of roads and the kinking of pipelines.
State and local voting officials preparing for midterm election manipulation
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Official disease website now says link between vaccines and autism can not be ruled out but scientists say they didn't change the site
NPR - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website now says a link between vaccines and autism cannot be ruled out. This is a reversal from the agency’s longstanding position that there is no link. This message aligns with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s opinion that vaccines are dangerous.
CDC scientists say they didn’t change their website, and the Department of Health and Human Services wouldn’t divulge who ordered the adjustment to the wording, NPR’s Pien Huang tells Up First. There is no new scientific evidence to support the claim of a link between vaccines and autism. Huang notes that it is interesting that a headline on the CDC’s webpage still states that vaccines don’t cause autism. However, there is an asterisk next to this statement, which explains that the agency will not remove it due to an agreement with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who provided a key confirmation vote for Kennedy to become the HHS secretary.
Senate and House GOP leaders no longer on same page
The Hill - Friction is emerging in the once unified GOP relationship between Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.).
The two congressional leaders have been visibly out of sync in recent days on a bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and on an electronic records seizure law that could enrich senators while drawing a hostile reaction from many House Republicans.
The dynamic is bringing classic House-Senate tensions out into the open, and it’s putting the Speaker in a position of having to defer to the upper chamber — even though it is Johnson who has a more publicly close relationship with President Trump.
And it comes as the two leaders face serious challenges on other legislative issues, including how to address ObamaCare subsidies that expire at the end of the year; passage of the National Defense Authorization Act; and another looming government funding deadline in January that could lead to a second shutdown in a matter of months.
Johnson told reporters Wednesday night that he has “a very good relationship” with Thune.
“We have different processes and procedures in the two chambers, and sometimes we all get frustrated by that, but it’s not personal,” Johnson said.
After a rebellion in the House forced Johnson to bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to a vote Wednesday, Johnson spent nearly 20 minutes in a press conference in the hours ahead of the vote detailing his concerns with the bill, even though it got a face-saving endorsement from Trump. Johnson argued it needed fixes for how it handled sensitive victim information and the possible release of untrue allegations about other individuals in relation to the financier and sex offender.
The two congressional leaders have been visibly out of sync in recent days on a bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and on an electronic records seizure law that could enrich senators while drawing a hostile reaction from many House Republicans.
The dynamic is bringing classic House-Senate tensions out into the open, and it’s putting the Speaker in a position of having to defer to the upper chamber — even though it is Johnson who has a more publicly close relationship with President Trump.
And it comes as the two leaders face serious challenges on other legislative issues, including how to address ObamaCare subsidies that expire at the end of the year; passage of the National Defense Authorization Act; and another looming government funding deadline in January that could lead to a second shutdown in a matter of months.
Johnson told reporters Wednesday night that he has “a very good relationship” with Thune.
“We have different processes and procedures in the two chambers, and sometimes we all get frustrated by that, but it’s not personal,” Johnson said.
After a rebellion in the House forced Johnson to bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to a vote Wednesday, Johnson spent nearly 20 minutes in a press conference in the hours ahead of the vote detailing his concerns with the bill, even though it got a face-saving endorsement from Trump. Johnson argued it needed fixes for how it handled sensitive victim information and the possible release of untrue allegations about other individuals in relation to the financier and sex offender.
November 20, 2025
Texas governor declares Muslim group "a foreign terrorist organization"
Independent UK - Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the US, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a 'foreign terrorist organization' and a 'transnational criminal organization'.
He stated this proclamation would allow the state to attempt to shut down the group and prevent it from acquiring land within Texas.
The Muslim Brotherhood was also included in this designation. However, neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood are officially designated as foreign terrorist organisations by the US government.
He stated this proclamation would allow the state to attempt to shut down the group and prevent it from acquiring land within Texas.
The Muslim Brotherhood was also included in this designation. However, neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood are officially designated as foreign terrorist organisations by the US government.
Independent, UK - Texas is undertaking the nation’s largest attempt to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. In the rush to navigate the Republican-led mandate that took effect in September, the rollout has forced some districts to confront hard choices.
Federal courts have ordered more than two dozen of the state's nearly 1,200 school districts to not hang the posters, including on Tuesday when a judge ruled that the mandate violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion. Courts have also ruled against similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana, and the issue is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Federal courts have ordered more than two dozen of the state's nearly 1,200 school districts to not hang the posters, including on Tuesday when a judge ruled that the mandate violates First Amendment language guaranteeing religious liberty and forbidding government establishment of religion. Courts have also ruled against similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana, and the issue is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pedestrian deaths have surged
Washington Post - Between 2010 and 2023, yearly deaths caused by cars and trucks striking pedestrians rose 70 percent, an examination of federal data and other public records by The Washington Post shows.
City by city across the United States, the surge — from 4,302 in 2010 to 7,314 deaths in 2023 — largely occurred on roads with a few things in common. They were concentrated on multilane roads, with the largest clusters of deaths occurring on thoroughfares that cut through economically distressed neighborhoods and had fading commercial strips, according to the Post investigation.
Wide roads and fast-moving vehicles — especially when combined with signs of poverty, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, and a lack of pedestrian-focused roadway improvements — produced a pattern of death-by-vehicle that is uniquely American, according to the investigation, which draws on crash data, census records and thousands of pages of police reports, as well as interviews with current and former officials, engineering experts and victims’ families.
More people in these areas lack cars and are forced to walk, while many of those killed tended to be impaired and were taking risks trying to cross, the review found.
The country has become a global outlier, as fatality rates in such incidents have declined almost 30 percent in other developed countries in the decade ending in 2023.
City by city across the United States, the surge — from 4,302 in 2010 to 7,314 deaths in 2023 — largely occurred on roads with a few things in common. They were concentrated on multilane roads, with the largest clusters of deaths occurring on thoroughfares that cut through economically distressed neighborhoods and had fading commercial strips, according to the Post investigation.
Wide roads and fast-moving vehicles — especially when combined with signs of poverty, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, and a lack of pedestrian-focused roadway improvements — produced a pattern of death-by-vehicle that is uniquely American, according to the investigation, which draws on crash data, census records and thousands of pages of police reports, as well as interviews with current and former officials, engineering experts and victims’ families.
More people in these areas lack cars and are forced to walk, while many of those killed tended to be impaired and were taking risks trying to cross, the review found.
The country has become a global outlier, as fatality rates in such incidents have declined almost 30 percent in other developed countries in the decade ending in 2023.
Polls: Most Americans believe the US is on the path to another civil war
Republicans against Trump - Fox News poll: 76% of voters view the economy negatively. That’s worse than the 67% who felt that way in July.
Independent, UK - A majority of U.S. citizens believe the country is on the path to a second civil war because of the polarizing nature of modern politics, according to a shocking new poll.
The survey from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, conducted between October 30 and November 6, asked respondents which issues they felt most strongly about, with 57 percent saying they feared a new war between the states.
Other statements those taking part agreed with most emphatically included the suggestion that consumers are sacrificing too much privacy to Big Tech, 89 percent agreement, that American freedom of speech is under threat, 76 percent, that the government is not doing enough to protect minority rights, 73 percent, that democracy itself is under threat, 69 percent, and that race relations in the U.S. are worsening, 60 percent.
National Memo - Riding a streak of unexpectedly strong election wins, Democrats have found yet another reason to feel bullish about 2026. A new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows a clear majority of voters leaning blue if the midterms were held today—a rare cushion in an era defined by razor-thin margins.
The headline number is almost jarring: Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 55 percent to 41 percent. That’s the party’s biggest edge in this poll since late 2017, just before Democrats flipped more than 40 House seats during President Donald Trump’s first term. The symmetry isn’t perfect, but it’s close enough to make operatives on both sides sit up straighter. It’s the same point in Trump’s presidency; same polling drift away from the GOP; same ominous rumble of a potential blue wave.
But the map today is far less forgiving. A decade of hyper-aggressive gerrymandering—much of it encouraged by Trump—has drained the battlefield of competitive districts. Red states have raced to redraw maps mid-decade, and blue states have retaliated. The House is now a chessboard engineered to resist blowouts, even as public sentiment sours against the party in power.
Add endangered species to Trump's victims
The Hill - The Trump administration is proposing to axe protections for some animals and plants under the Endangered Species Act.The administration argues that the current rules are too stringent and stifle economic development, while their supporters say they are necessary to protect wildlife from harm.
The administration is proposing to cut protections for species that are newly designated as “threatened,” which is a step below endangered.
Under existing rules, threatened species are subject to protections. Under the Trump proposal, newly designated ones would not get these protections, but they would stay in place for species that are currently listed.
The changes also appear to make it more difficult both to designate species as endangered and to conserve habitat for such species.
The administration is proposing to cut protections for species that are newly designated as “threatened,” which is a step below endangered.
Under existing rules, threatened species are subject to protections. Under the Trump proposal, newly designated ones would not get these protections, but they would stay in place for species that are currently listed.
The changes also appear to make it more difficult both to designate species as endangered and to conserve habitat for such species.
Comey case
| American Watchdog - A federal judge has issued an extraordinary ruling revealing profound investigative missteps by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the case against former FBI Director James Comey. The judge’s critique highlights serious procedural errors that could potentially undermine the integrity of the prosecution, raising significant concerns about government misconduct, procedural fairness, and the broader issue of politicization in high-profile federal cases. The ruling mandates the rare release of all grand jury materials to Comey’s defense, marking a critical intervention in the ongoing debate over the independence and accountability of federal law enforcement. NPR - The Justice Department yesterday informed the judge overseeing the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey that the full grand jury never reviewed the final indictment against him. The government described this as little more than a paperwork error. But Comey’s attorney disagreed, saying this is grounds to have the case dismissed. Comey faces false statement and obstruction charges tied to congressional testimony he gave in 2020. |
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Maryland's AG joins 24 other jurisdictions in opposing deployment of National Guard without state approval
Anthony Brown - Trump’s attempt to deploy the National Guard in Illinois and his threat to do so in other cities is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic.
That’s why I’m leading an amicus brief with 24 other jurisdictions against the Trump administration’s attempted deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, as I have in other places like DC and Oregon.
As Maryland’s Attorney General and a U.S. Army veteran, I take public safety seriously. However, Trump’s use of the National Guard to patrol American cities without the approval of state leaders is an abuse of power motivated by politics, not public safety.
This is the fourth time in four months that Donald Trump has deployed the Guard to a city without the consent of its leaders. The courts must intervene; otherwise, this disturbing militarization of cities could become the new normal.
That’s why I’m leading an amicus brief with 24 other jurisdictions against the Trump administration’s attempted deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, as I have in other places like DC and Oregon.
As Maryland’s Attorney General and a U.S. Army veteran, I take public safety seriously. However, Trump’s use of the National Guard to patrol American cities without the approval of state leaders is an abuse of power motivated by politics, not public safety.
This is the fourth time in four months that Donald Trump has deployed the Guard to a city without the consent of its leaders. The courts must intervene; otherwise, this disturbing militarization of cities could become the new normal.
Trump calls for death of military resisting unlawful orders
The Hill - President Trump called a group of Democrats “traitors” on Thursday and suggested they be locked up and punished by death, after the lawmakers urged members of the military to resist unlawful orders by the administration.
Trump was responding to a video, made by six Democrats with military and intelligence backgrounds, that directly addresses active service members and says, “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.”
Trump and other top administration officials seized on the video to claim the lawmakers involved were undermining the government.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He later posted a message that said: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
The president also reposted several messages on the social media platform from users attacking the lawmakers involved in the video, including one user who wrote, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
While the lawmakers don’t point to any specific action by the White House, the video comes as the Trump administration has carried out deadly strikes in the Caribbean, blowing up boats on the suspicion they are ferrying drugs. The Trump administration has not provided evidence to back its claims regarding the boats; and law enforcement traditionally interdicts boats suspected of drug activity, rather than attacking them.
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In a response, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), one of the members on the video, also cited the deployment of U.S. troops on American streets.
“A lot of people got upset about the video, and let me just say, they are trying to wield fear to get us to stop talking about this issue. They don’t want to be talking about the deployment of the military in our streets, the deployment of federal law enforcement in our streets. They don’t want to have that public conversation, because they know it goes to the heart of who we are as Americans, as a democracy,” she said, adding that both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should appear for a public hearing.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested Wednesday the Justice Department might launch a probe into the six Democrats.
“You had members of Congress, members of the Senate, encouraging members of our military and members of our intelligence committee community to go and defy orders. And by the way, there is nothing illegal about what we are doing. … And this is abhorrent conduct,” Blanche said during an appearance on “The Sean Hannity Show” on Fox News.
“What is the reason for saying what they said, except for to encourage members of our military, to encourage members of our intelligence community to defy a direct command from their superior, and that is wrong.”
At one point, Hannity displayed the Insurrection Act, which bars anyone who engages in a rebellion from holding public office.
Blanche stopped short of suggesting the lawmakers violated that statute, but said any probe “would absolutely be under what these — what their intent was in saying this.
Trump was responding to a video, made by six Democrats with military and intelligence backgrounds, that directly addresses active service members and says, “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.”
Trump and other top administration officials seized on the video to claim the lawmakers involved were undermining the government.
“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He later posted a message that said: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
The president also reposted several messages on the social media platform from users attacking the lawmakers involved in the video, including one user who wrote, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
While the lawmakers don’t point to any specific action by the White House, the video comes as the Trump administration has carried out deadly strikes in the Caribbean, blowing up boats on the suspicion they are ferrying drugs. The Trump administration has not provided evidence to back its claims regarding the boats; and law enforcement traditionally interdicts boats suspected of drug activity, rather than attacking them.
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In a response, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), one of the members on the video, also cited the deployment of U.S. troops on American streets.
“A lot of people got upset about the video, and let me just say, they are trying to wield fear to get us to stop talking about this issue. They don’t want to be talking about the deployment of the military in our streets, the deployment of federal law enforcement in our streets. They don’t want to have that public conversation, because they know it goes to the heart of who we are as Americans, as a democracy,” she said, adding that both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should appear for a public hearing.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested Wednesday the Justice Department might launch a probe into the six Democrats.
“You had members of Congress, members of the Senate, encouraging members of our military and members of our intelligence committee community to go and defy orders. And by the way, there is nothing illegal about what we are doing. … And this is abhorrent conduct,” Blanche said during an appearance on “The Sean Hannity Show” on Fox News.
“What is the reason for saying what they said, except for to encourage members of our military, to encourage members of our intelligence community to defy a direct command from their superior, and that is wrong.”
At one point, Hannity displayed the Insurrection Act, which bars anyone who engages in a rebellion from holding public office.
Blanche stopped short of suggesting the lawmakers violated that statute, but said any probe “would absolutely be under what these — what their intent was in saying this.
Trump regime requires SNAP applicants to reapply because of false claims by less than 1%
Horizon Post - Trump administration’s new policy demands all SNAP recipients reapply after finding 186,000 deceased individuals still receiving benefits, triggering debates on oversight and fraud prevention.
- Critics argue the fraud scale is exaggerated, complicating the reapplication process.
- Potential disruption for millions of low-income Americans relying on SNAP benefits.
- Legal challenges arise as states face increased administrative burdens.
In November 2025, the Trump administration, led by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, announced a sweeping crackdown on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud. The administration cited an alarming statistic: 186,000 deceased individuals were still listed as receiving benefits. This unprecedented move requires nearly 42 million Americans to reapply for their food assistance benefits.
Immigration
Axios - The Trump administration is proposing to weigh immigrants' use of programs like Medicaid or SNAP, as well as other public benefits, when determining if they should get permanent residency.
The proposal is another case of the administration putting public health on a collision course with immigration policy.
A homeland security proposal published this week lays out a new version of a "public charge" policy, which was expanded during Trump's first term and then rolled back during the Biden years.
- Critics say the latest effort, if finalized, could further discourage the use of health, nutrition and housing services after the GOP reconciliation package limited legal immigrants' access to health insurance.
The Department of Homeland Security on Monday said the policy could save nearly $90 billion over a decade as people unenroll from or skip out on public programs.
- The 140-page rule seeks to override previous policies that outlined which public benefits could disqualify immigrants from getting a green card, instead leaving decisions to the discretion of individual immigration officers on a case-by-case basis.
- Limiting criteria goes against congressional intent, DHS wrote. The change could mean that officers also consider use of services beyond Medicaid, like getting care at a community health center, when looking at green card applications, legal experts told Axios.
- DHS acknowledged in the proposal that the policy could lead to worse health outcomes, like increased prevalence of obesity and communicable diseases.
- Emergency room doctors are concerned that more people will skip primary and preventive care, leading them to get care only in ERs.
The proposal comes after the State Department reportedly concluded this month that it can deny visas to the U.S. based on an applicant's health conditions, including obesity and diabetes.
- HHS this year also prohibited community health centers from serving undocumented immigrants, though the move is being challenged in court. Keep reading
Mortgage delinquency rates
WalletHub - With mortgage delinquency rates ranging from around 3% to as high as 24%
depending on the city, the personal-finance company WalletHub today
released its report on the Cities With the Highest Mortgage Delinquency Rates,
to highlight where people are most at risk of credit score damage and
foreclosure. WalletHub ranked 100 cities by analyzing proprietary user
data from Q1 2025 to Q2 2025.
For the full report and to see where your city ranks
| Most Delinquent | Least Delinquent | |
| 1. Laredo, TX | 91. Plano, TX | |
| 2. Detroit, MI | 92. Reno, NV | |
| 3. Newark, NJ | 93. Scottsdale, AZ | |
| 4. Baton Rouge, LA | 94. San Diego, CA | |
| 5. Philadelphia, PA | 95. Honolulu, HI | |
| 6. Baltimore, MD | 96. Seattle, WA | |
| 7. New Orleans, LA | 97. Madison, WI | |
| 8. Greensboro, NC | 98. San Jose, CA | |
| 9. El Paso, TX | 99. Fremont, CA | |
| 10. Lubbock, TX | 100. San Francisco, CA | |
For the full report and to see where your city ranks
Nvidia generates $32 billion in last three months
NPR - Tech company Nvidia announced yesterday that it generated $32 billion in revenue over the last three months.
In recent weeks, it reached a valuation of $5 trillion. The company is
fueling much of Wall Street’s optimism surrounding artificial
intelligence.
🎧 Tech, and AI in particular, makes up a huge portion of the stock market,
says NPR’s Maria Aspan. AI-related stocks make up almost half of the
value of the S&P 500. While Wall Street is pinning its hopes on the
AI boom, the companies investing in the technology are not yet seeing significant tangible results.
Aspan notes that it is essential to remember that the stock market is
not the economy; it is often an indicator of the economy’s performance.
Much of the AI boom is driving the market to record highs, which means
investors may overlook questions about what is actually happening in the
economy.
Meanwhile. . .
The state of Montana has set a goal of killing 458 wolves this winter. That’s nearly half of the wolves still surviving in the state. Wolves are amazing animals, but they can’t protect themselves from state-sponsored hunts, high-powered rifles, and steel-jawed traps.
Jailed pregnant women suffer bad births
Prison Policy - Given the lack of transparency from jails about pregnancies, birth outcomes, and other facets of reproductive care, a team of student researchers is drawing attention to this data blind spot. The Birth in Jails Media Project, which draws entirely from local news coverage of jail births, provides a rich picture of how some pregnant people experience incarceration, labor, and childbirth, with more detail about jail conditions and staff responses than a national dataset can typically provide...
While the 35 mothers and newborns included in these cases are likely a small and unrepresentative share of all jail births between 2013 and 2023, their stories are powerful calls to action: Pregnant people in jails are in dire need of proper and timely care, and their experiences cannot continue to go undocumented. Lawsuits filed by mothers and advocates, our Media Project partners note, can be credited for moving the needle in some states, but too many stories remain in the shadows.
While the 35 mothers and newborns included in these cases are likely a small and unrepresentative share of all jail births between 2013 and 2023, their stories are powerful calls to action: Pregnant people in jails are in dire need of proper and timely care, and their experiences cannot continue to go undocumented. Lawsuits filed by mothers and advocates, our Media Project partners note, can be credited for moving the needle in some states, but too many stories remain in the shadows.
Which Epstein files will remain hidden?
NBC - The measure allows the attorney general to withhold some documents, including records that "would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary."
It doesn't define how long "temporary" is or what the penalty for failing to comply would be...
None were accused of wrongdoing or implicated in any criminal activity in the emails, but Bondi ordered a U.S. attorney to comply with Trump's directive. It's unclear how that might affect files being released.
There's also an exception "authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy."
The bill's language makes it clear that the bar to withhold information is high.
"No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary," the act says...
A judge who presided over an Epstein-related case this year said there are roughly 100,000 pages in the file. House Republicans called the documents that had been turned over an "initial batch," with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., saying, "This is the beginning, not the end," but the Justice Department has yet to turn over more documents to the committee.
It doesn't define how long "temporary" is or what the penalty for failing to comply would be...
None were accused of wrongdoing or implicated in any criminal activity in the emails, but Bondi ordered a U.S. attorney to comply with Trump's directive. It's unclear how that might affect files being released.
There's also an exception "authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy."
The bill's language makes it clear that the bar to withhold information is high.
"No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary," the act says...
A judge who presided over an Epstein-related case this year said there are roughly 100,000 pages in the file. House Republicans called the documents that had been turned over an "initial batch," with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., saying, "This is the beginning, not the end," but the Justice Department has yet to turn over more documents to the committee.
Food recall
Health - Certain Jeni's ice cream bars have been recalled nationwide due to undeclared wheat and soy allergens, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday. One batch of Passion Fruit Dreamsicle Ice Cream Bars was pulled from shelves after a crunch topping from a separate product was accidentally added during manufacturing.
US adds 119, 000 jobs in September
NBC News -- The U.S. added 119,000 jobs in September, a stronger-than-expected figure and a sign that the economy was adding jobs at a healthy clip prior to the government shutdown.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported revisions showing August payrolls down 26,000, from 22,000 to -4,000, and down 7,000, from 79,000 to 72,000 in July.
The report was originally supposed to be released Oct. 3, but it was shelved because of the shutdown.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported revisions showing August payrolls down 26,000, from 22,000 to -4,000, and down 7,000, from 79,000 to 72,000 in July.
The report was originally supposed to be released Oct. 3, but it was shelved because of the shutdown.
Health
Robert Reich - Next year, Americans will see the biggest jump in health insurance costs in 15 years.
Meanwhile, the seven largest health insurance companies made a combined $71B in profits in 2024.
It’s far past time for Medicare for All.
Meanwhile, the seven largest health insurance companies made a combined $71B in profits in 2024.
It’s far past time for Medicare for All.
Turning 88 years old
Sam Smith – On Monday, assuming I’m still alive, I will become 88 years old. This is not only a novelty for me, it will mean I’ve outlived all the males in at least four generations of my family and ten years longer than the average American white male. Meanwhile over 200 of my friends, relatives I knew and co-workers are in a grave.
I’m more confused than thrilled by all this. Being old is not as honorable a status as some would suggest. I concluded some time ago that it was more like being a teenager. You think wrong, do wrong, say wrong, forget the important and don’t get consulted on ideas or invited to many events
This is all despite growing older being one of the things we Americans have done best in the past century, adding a few decades to our lifespan since 1850. But this statistical improvement is more often viewed as a cultural or health problem rather than cause for celebration.
Even one’s own memory eliminates a growing number of past sagas. Besides those a few decades younger than you aren’t interested in them anyway.
None of this is surprising given the statistics. Males of my age in America represent about eight tenths of one percent and we share our life with 342 million other Americans and 8 billion humans around the world.
I’m still working on this numerical condition. One of the solutions that my wife (of the past 59 years] and I have enjoyed was moving from Washington DC in 2009 to a small town of 8,000 in Maine where I had summered as a kid. I am struck by how this simple choice has improved my comfort and my values. For example I can’t think of anyone who has seriously lied or conned me since I returned to Maine. And one’s relevance depends in no small part on real people you share it with a record 22% of them in Maine over 65.
It is stunning that our dysfunctional national system of politics and culture take so much precedence over what we can actually feel, touch and talk with on a daily basis – namely the community we live in.
The national media defines our lives despite the fact that tens of millions of us are far better humans than, say, Donald Trump. We have let media descriptions replace the real ones that used to picture us.
As a journalist I realize that I have contributed to this bias toward power over common reality but lately my past as a college anthropology major has encouraged me to tell more tales about real things that real people do and who they really are. You don’t get elected to or buy this role; you simply practice it.
November 19, 2025
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