Top Items:
Tyler Pager / New York Times:
Donor Who Gave $130 Million to Pay Troops Is Reclusive Heir to Mellon Fortune … Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and a major financial backer of President Trump, is the anonymous private donor who gave $130 million to the U.S. government to help pay troops during the shutdown, according to two people familiar with the matter.
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twitchy.com
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Adam Cancryn / CNN:
Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members — The Trump administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump toward paying military service members during the government shutdown, the Defense Department confirmed on Friday.
Politico:
DOD accepts anonymous $130M donation to partially cover troop pay
Discussion:
New York Post, HuffPost, Daily Caller News Foundation, Clayton Cramer, NewsMax.com, Wall Street Journal, Mediaite and Reuters
Anastasia Obis / Federal News Network:
Can DoD use private funds to pay troops during shutdown?
Can DoD use private funds to pay troops during shutdown?
Discussion:
Associated Press, NewsMax.com, The Moderate Voice, Lawfare and Instapundit
Politico:
Trump administration says it won't tap emergency funds to pay food aid … In order to make the deadline, the Trump administration would have needed to start preparing for partial payments weeks ago, which it has not done. — Congressional Democrats and anti-hunger groups have urged …
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Emily Peck / Axios:
Trump's shutdown funding workarounds are on shaky legal ground — The ways President Trump is moving money around to pay certain federal workers during the government shutdown may be illegal, experts tell Axios. … - Spending money, in ways Congress didn't authorize, is likely illegal, lawyers and policy experts say.
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
October 24, 2025 — Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has canceled House business again next week …
Marc Caputo / Axios:
Exclusive: USDA says it won't use emergency funds for food stamps
Exclusive: USDA says it won't use emergency funds for food stamps
Discussion:
Reuters, Scripps News, Civil Eats, GovExec.com, New York Times, The Hill, WUSA, Plain Dealer, The Maine Wire, NewsMax.com and MPR News
New York Times:
Justice Department Will Monitor Elections in California and New Jersey — The Trump administration said that monitors will watch polling in two states, led by Democrats, where key races or issues are on the ballot. — The Trump administration said on Friday that the Justice Department …
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Guy Marzorati / KQED:
Newsom Says Trump Is ‘Rigging the Election’ With Federal Poll Monitors — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday accused the Trump administration of “rigging the election” by dispatching federal poll monitors to five California counties, as voters cast ballots on Newsom's Proposition 50 redistricting measure.
Discussion:
Mercury News, VINnews, Blaze Media, Grabien, New Jersey Globe, The Daily Caller and San Francisco Chronicle
Ross Douthat / New York Times:
Why Trump's East Wing Demolition Needed to Happen — The controversial public building is ugly and intimidating, architectural vainglory battening on presidential ego, inappropriate to its setting, unmoored from memory and tradition. — I'm talking, naturally, about Barack Obama's unfinished …
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Paul Wiseman / Associated Press:
Trump says a Canadian ad misstated Ronald Reagan's views on tariffs. Here are the facts and context — Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share — President Donald Trump pulled out of trade talks with Canada Thursday night …
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Ryan Mancini / The Hill:
Reagan ad that infuriated Trump set to run during World Series — Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday the anti-tariffs advertisement featuring former President Reagan, which angered President Trump, will air during the World Series before being paused Monday.
Discussion:
Politico, Reuters, Mediaite, Associated Press, Bloomberg, New York Times, CityNews Toronto, American Thinker, National Review, Fortune, New York Post, The Daily Boulder, PolitiFact, Forbes, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, The Wrap, MSNBC, Business Insider, HotAir, Townhall, Washington Times, Axios, The Guardian, NewsNation, CNN, New Republic, Newsweek, Washington Examiner, The American Conservative, Blaze Media, CNBC, New York Sun, Scripps News, IJR, NewsMax.com, The Independent and KTFT
NBC News:
Border Patrol's Bovino called to court after being accused of throwing tear gas canister in Chicago — Immigration officials say that Bovino, who was not wearing a helmet, was struck in the head by a rock. One protester who filmed the encounter disputes that he was hit.
Discussion:
CWB Chicago, American Greatness, Block Club Chicago, CBS News, IJR, CNN, Capitol Fax.com and Raw Story
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Jon Seidel / Chicago Sun Times:
Federal judge orders Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino into her courtroom
Discussion:
CBS News and New York Times
Josh Kovensky / Talking Points Memo:
Chicago Federal Judge Hauls Bovino in to Court
Chicago Federal Judge Hauls Bovino in to Court
Discussion:
FOX 32 Chicago
Annie Karni / New York Times:
Keeping the House Absent, Johnson Marginalizes Congress and Himself … It has been over a month since there has been a policy debate or vote on the House floor. Spending legislation is not being considered. Oversight hearings are on hold until further notice.
The Atlantic:
The U.S. Is Preparing for War in Venezuela — More U.S. military firepower is headed to the Caribbean as Trump escalates his anti-Maduro rhetoric. — as a naval aviator, Alvin Holsey trained to conduct missions that required precise targeting. For years, his job was to fly helicopters …
Discussion:
France 24, Boston University and Al Jazeera
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Laura Kuenssberg / BBC:
‘I am not done’ - Kamala Harris tells BBC she may run for president again — Laura KuenssbergPresenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg — Former US Vice-President Kamala Harris has told the BBC she may run again for the White House. — In her first UK interview, Harris said she would …
Discussion:
NBC News, Politico, The Independent, CityNews Toronto and Newsweek
New York Times:
As Vance Takes on a Forceful New Role, His Positions Are Shifting — Vice President JD Vance has found himself defending or promoting positions that he once opposed, even as recently as the campaign. — Online, overseas and in the halls of the White House, Vice President JD Vance has taken on a far more visible role in recent weeks.
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Freddy Gray / Spectator:
Can anyone stop J.D. Vance becoming president?
Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:
In Florida, Obamacare Price Hikes Pose an Outsized Threat — South Florida will feel some of the most intense reverberations if Congress allows the extra insurance subsidies it approved during the pandemic to expire. — If the extra subsidies that help Americans pay for Obamacare insurance plans expire …
Discussion:
Raw Story and The Independent
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Pitches Meeting With Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour: ‘Put Out the Word’ — North Korean leader refuses to discuss denuclearization, but meeting would boost his global legitimacy — Departing for his first Asia trip of his second term, President Trump publicly called for a meeting …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, Fox News, The Independent, Al Jazeera, RTÉ, TheJournal.ie, France 24, Bloomberg, The Japan Times, NewsMax.com and The Gateway Pundit
New York Times:
Trump Administration Plans a Shake-Up at ICE to Speed Deportations — The preliminary plan stems from frustration over the pace of the deportations, which are lagging behind President Trump's demands. — The Trump administration is drawing up plans for a shake-up at Immigration and Customs Enforcement …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Paul Krugman:
Talking With Erica Chenoweth — Civil resistance: Does it work, and when? — MAGA may say that No Kings Day 2 was a “hate America” event, but in reality it was not just peaceful; it was joyous. Participants in the huge march I joined in New York, and by all accounts at other demonstrations across …
Aaron Rupar / Public Notice:
G. Elliot Morris on Trump's dire polling — “He just continues to be worse and worse than every other president before him.” — ∙ Paid — Public Notice is supported by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — ✊ Subscribe to PN ✊
MSNBC:
Trump's ceasefire plan should be an opportunity to end starvation in Gaza — The Gaza ceasefire plan means whatever President Donald Trump says it means. His envoys need to focus on ending the mass starvation of Palestinians. — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the latest Trump envoy visiting Israel …
Discussion:
Ynetnews, Algemeiner.com and Middle East Monitor
Declan Harty / Politico:
Trump taps crypto regulator Mike Selig as new CFTC chair nominee … A one-time law clerk at the CFTC, Selig currently works as chief counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission's crypto task force in addition to advising SEC Chair Paul Atkins, according to his LinkedIn.
Discussion:
Bloomberg and NewsMax.com, more at Techmeme »
April Rubin / Axios:
Civilian employees at several federal agencies miss their first full paycheck — About 658,000 civilian employees at the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs missed their first full paycheck on Friday, marking the latest grim milestone of the government shutdown that has no end in sight.
Discussion:
NBC News, NewsMax.com, Scripps News, Federal News Network, GovExec.com and CBS News
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