Wall Street Journal:
White House Senses Political Risk on Healthcare Despite Shutdown Bravado
Trump aides are discussing proposals to extend Obamacare subsidies on which millions of Americans rely
President Trump has projected unwavering confidence that he is winning the messaging war over the government shutdown. But behind the scenes, his team is increasingly concerned that the issue at the center of the debate will create political vulnerabilities for Republicans.
Advisers are worried that the GOP will take the blame for allowing healthcare subsidies to expire, raising costs for millions of Americans ahead of next year’s midterm elections, according to administration officials.
Inside the White House, aides are discussing proposals to extend the enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act health-insurance plans, the officials said. Trump hasn’t yet decided whether he will endorse such a proposal, according to the officials. Republicans say they will only hold negotiations with Democrats on the matter after the government is reopened.
Paul Waldman/The Cross-Section:
Trump Is Not Very Good At This
He has a talent for saying the worst thing at the worst time.
It was not complicated: All Donald Trump had to say was that Democrats are causing the government shutdown, while he is the protector of the American people’s interests. Instead, he said this to a gaggle of reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday:
We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them [i.e. Democrats] and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like. And you all know Russell Vought, he’s become very popular recently, because he can trim the budget to a level that you couldn’t do any other way. So they’re taking a risk by having a shutdown. Because of the shutdown, we can do things medically and other ways, including benefits. We can cut large numbers of people. We don’t want to do that, but we don’t want fraud, waste and abuse.
In other words, Democrats say that they’re trying to keep Trump from cutting medical benefits, to which Trump basically responded: Yep, I’m going to cut medical benefits.
When other politicians hand their opponents such a perfect talking point on a silver platter that way, it’s usually the occasion for a vigorous round of mockery and contempt, as both enemies and allies marvel at how only a spectacular idiot with no political skills would say such a thing.
Will Bunch/Philadelphia Inquirer:
From Nepal to Morocco to Peru, very online 20-somethings are rising up against their governments. Can it happen here?
As the 2025 calendar flipped from summer into fall, the 20-somethings and teens collectively known as Gen Z, or “zoomers,” have taken to the streets in a series of mostly developing countries that are separated by oceans and thousands of miles, yet linked by sites like Discord and TikTok, and a worldview defined by video games and anime.
Bolts:
Your Cheat Sheet to the 2025 General Elections
Bolts guides you through more than 180 elections on the ballot this fall, across 32 states, and why they matter.
Four contests have come to largely define the 2025 elections: the elections to lead New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City, plus California’s redistricting measure. But there’s so much else on the ballot.
Enter our annual cheat sheet to help you track this busy general election.
We’ve identified more than 180 key elections that will be decided this fall—from mayors and governors to school boards and judges—and explain why they matter.
All in all, 32 states are represented.
Cliff Schecter/BlueAmp:
Help us, Dear Souls: We're Trapped in "War Ravaged" Portland
Puppies are seeking shelter as Kristi Noem surveys the situation, while Pete Hegseth's imminent arrival has led to a run on Wild Turkey
Dearest Ophelia,
I write to you from the gangrenous environs of “war-ravaged” Portland. I thought I had seen it all during my early days of service—Bosnia, Rwanda, Eric Trump’s gum line.
But this, my dear, is truly odious.
Ken Burns should put it to music.
Steve Inskeep/NPR:
In Trump country, a Democrat critiques Trump — and talks of succeeding him
Kentucky Republicans dismiss his success as a quirk: The son of a popular former governor, Beshear won races in 2019 and 2023, which were not presidential election years. Many of Trump's backers stayed home. Still he received credit for his handling of the pandemic and a string of natural disasters. A major theme of our interview was how Democrats can improve their dismal showing among rural and red-state voters.
You can view the interview above. Here are some highlights:
He says Trump owns any damage from the government shutdown
Beshear took note of the president's threat to permanently fire federal employees as a way to pressure Democrats.
"If he fires a bunch of people, it's not because Democrats wouldn't reach a deal. It's because the president decides and actually fires people," he said. "People aren't a negotiating tool. They are not a prop. And that's how he's treating these families."
NBC News:
Education Department employees surprised to find their email automatically changed to blame Democrats for shutdown
Five furloughed employees told NBC News they had put up nonpartisan out-of-office messages, only to see they were changed — without their permission — to partisan ones.
One person reported changing the out-of-office message back to the nonpartisan version, only to have it revert to the partisan wording later.
“None of us consented to this. And it’s written in the first person, as if I’m the one conveying this message, and I’m not. I don’t agree with it. I don’t think it’s ethical or legal. I think it violates the Hatch Act,” this person said, referring to the law that limit federal employees’ political activity.
“I took the statement that they sent us earlier in the week to use. And I pasted it on top of that — basically has a standard out-of-office,” another one of the Education Department employees said. “They went in and manipulated my out-of-office reply. I guess they’re now making us all guilty of violating the Hatch Act.”
