Reserved Judgment Studio

News we trust go.bsky.app/7mgSkNb Sine timore aut favore

nysfocus.comHochul’s Liquor Czar Gives $40,000 to Pro-Hochul Super PACLily Fan, chair of the State Liquor Authority, is bankrolling a super PAC run by lobbyists seeking to influence her agency.

Hochul's liquor regulator gave $40,000 to a pro-Hochul super PAC whose officers work at a firm that lobbies her agency. Hochul's office says the donor ban doesn't cover her. nysfocus.com/2026/10/20/h... Maybe the donor ban should cover her... just saying. Sine timore aut favore

washingtonstatestandard.comAfter booting 760K people from ACA Plans, Trump administration has added some back • Washington State StandardThe Trump administration has reinstated a small number of people whose ACA coverage should not have been canceled.

Trump's CMS cut ~760,000 people from ACA plans, citing fraud. It's reinstating some it got wrong, won't say how many. 419,000 more under review; holdouts due after the midterms. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/10/18/a... Just two more weeks until Trump's "healthcare plan." Sine timore aut favore

propublica.orgThis Cybersecurity Agency Is Supposed to Protect U.S. Elections. Officials Fear It’s Been Compromised by Trump.DHS appointees made an unusual request of its agency that protects election systems: Secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it. Though not acted on, the request shows how the Trump administration ...

Trump appointees at DHS asked CISA to secretly examine a voting machine for the White House and keep any flaws from the vendor, per 2 ex-officials. www.propublica.org/article/cisa... MAJOR red flags. If Biden's DHS tried this, every R would call it election rigging. Sine timore aut favore

spotlightpa.orgCritics question ethics of Zeldin’s swing state tourEPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is visiting battleground districts and states in the runup to the midterms. Are the trips for policy or politics?

EPA chief Lee Zeldin has toured swing districts with vulnerable Republicans. Biden's EPA chief did it too. www.spotlightpa.org/news/2026/10... Strange thought: the head of the EPA should be protecting the environment, not campaigning. Apparently that's too much to ask. Sine timore aut favore

governor.ny.govGovernor Hochul Announces 3 Million Energy Rebate Checks Have Been Delivered, With Another 5.2 Million Checks to Be Sent in Coming WeeksGovernor Hochul announced that 3 million New Yorkers have already received their energy rebate checks of up to $200, with another 5.2 million checks being sent in coming weeks.

Hochul's $1B "POWER rebate": up to $200 each for 8.2M New Yorkers, mailed from Sept. 21 through December. She's on the Nov. 3 ballot. www.governor.ny.gov/news/governo... Democrats called Trump's pre-midterm checks a bribe. By their own rule, so are these. Sine timore aut favore

wgbh.orgHow do public records laws work in New England? We tested it.Massachusetts voters could bring the governor’s office and state lawmakers under public records law if Ballot Question 1 passes in November.

GBH asked all six New England governors for December gift records. Only Healey's (D) office couldn't give a timeline; Massachusetts exempts the governor from its records law. www.wgbh.org/news/politic... Attn. Massachusetts voters: Without transparency, you get corruption. Sine timore aut favore

pbs.orgDemocrats say Trump increased investments in drugmakers that were given Medicare exemptionsThe report from congressional Democrats found that Trump’s pharmaceutical stock holdings grew from a maximum reported value of $1.7 million in 2024 to as much as $56.2 million at the end of 2025.

Trump's drug stocks: up to $1.7M (2024) to up to $56.2M (end of 2025), incl. up to $39.1M in firms the GOP's 2025 law exempted from Medicare price talks, per JEC Democrats. www.pbs.org/newshour/pol... Found Trump's healthcare plan. Sine timore aut favore

pbs.orgFBI agents and analysts who were fired for working on Trump classified files probe sue to get their jobs backThe investigation resulted in a dramatic 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago that recovered classified records and later produced an indictment in federal court in Florida charging then-former President Don...

Nine FBI employees who worked the Mar-a-Lago documents case are suing. They say they were fired in February with no notice, hearing or investigation. www.pbs.org/newshour/pol... Due process isn't a perk for your side, Kash. Remember that when you're out of office. Sine timore aut favore

propublica.orgFrustrated by Losses in the Courts, Missouri Republicans Want to Change How Top Judges Are SelectedFor 86 years, Missouri has held on to a nonpartisan system of selecting its top judges. But after the state Supreme Court overruled the GOP’s redistricting push, some Republican lawmakers are calling ...

Missouri's Supreme Court (5 of 7 picked by GOP governors) let voters decide the GOP's new map. Now the party's director says "The Missouri Plan is done." www.propublica.org/article/miss... Teams that lose don't get to fire the ref. Not sure why Missouri's GOP thinks it can. Sine timore aut favore

news.wttw.com‘Megaprojects’ Bill Would Mean a $39M Annual Property Tax Break for Bears: Cook County Treasurer’s OfficeThe so-called “megaproject” bill would mean tax breaks for the Chicago Bears of more than $1.5 billion during the 40-year term of the agreement, according to the analysis.

Oct. 13, Pritzker (D): a Bears stadium deal won't come "at the expense of the taxpayers." The bill he backs would cut the Bears' property taxes ~$39M+ a year, per the Cook County Treasurer. news.wttw.com/2026/05/26/m... Gov. Pritzker: A tax break IS at taxpayers' expense. Sine timore aut favore

calmatters.orgMemes, podcasts and a 24-person comms team: How Gavin Newsom built a content machineGavin Newsom has been a Twitch stream guest, a Substacker, a Tiktoker and a podcast bro. Here’s how he’s used the media to boost himself as governor.

Newsom's taxpayer-paid comms team has 24 staff, $2.6M+ a year, double its 2020 size. It posts memes mocking Repubs. calmatters.org/politics/202... If a GOP gov did this, Dems would call it campaigning on the public dime. Apparently party matters more than country, eh Gavin? Sine timore aut favore

rollcall.comBipartisan chorus to Trump: Undo Russian diesel dealA dozen senators from both parties bluntly told President Donald Trump in a letter Tuesday to reverse a deal he announced last week to allow U.S. purchases of Russian diesel fuel. The proposed waiver ...

Feb. 28: the US and Israel go to war with Iran without Congress. March: AP reports Russia gave Iran intel to help hit US forces. Oct. 9: Trump waives Russian energy sanctions for 300,000+ tons of diesel. rollcall.com/2026/10/13/b... Whose side is Trump on? Sine timore aut favore

wral.comDOJ says it's investigating whether White House TV pool's coverage halt violated antitrust lawThe U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the decision of the White House television press pool to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month violated antitrust law. Emily Coving...

Trump's DOJ opened an antitrust probe of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC for pausing pool coverage after the White House barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico. wral.com/news/ap/687c... If Biden's DOJ did this to Fox or any other network, Republicans would be screaming. Crickets... Sine timore aut favore

kjzz.orgThis AZ senator again facing allegations of conflict of interest regarding Yuma college fundingDemocratic state Sen. Brian Fernandez was appointed to fill his mother’s seat in the state Legislature in 2021. And since, he’s faced two allegations of conflict of interest in his work as a lawmaker.

AZ Sen. Brian Fernandez (D) reportedly lives in a house owned by a college VP. The college's state money about tripled to ~$23M and it named a building for him. No conflict disclosed. www.kjzz.org/the-show/202... Totally normal. Nothing to see here, folks... Sine timore aut favore

propublica.orgKen Paxton’s Security for Travel Cost Taxpayers Millions. Just 1 in 6 of His Trips Had a Stated Business Purpose.Records show the Texas attorney general has taken nearly 1,000 trips during his tenure, costing $3.3 million in security. We could only connect 138 of those trips and $553,000 in security costs to sta...

Ken Paxton took ~1,000 trips with a taxpayer-funded security detail since 2015, costing ~$3.3M. Only 138 had a listed state business purpose, per ProPublica/Texas Tribune. www.propublica.org/article/ken-... Are taxpayers funding a security detail or a travel agency? Sine timore aut favore

newjerseymonitor.comNJ agency will conduct daily audits to prevent more voter registration errors, governor says • New Jersey MonitorGov. Sherrill says new daily audits at the Motor Vehicle Commission will prevent any more ineligible people from being registered to vote.

NJ's MVC registered ~6,600 self-declared noncitizens to vote. Gov. Sherrill says ~340 voted. It predates her term. Error or not, this is unacceptable. It's worse given that Trump says Republicans should "take over" voting. Dems...don't give them the ammunition. Sine timore aut favore

pbs.orgTrump's $90 Medicare rebate rolls out, but millions aren't eligible. Critics see a political stuntPresident Donald Trump says his administration will make one-time payments of $90 per person to help more than 20 million Medicare enrollees pay for their Part B premiums. It will cost about $2 billio...

Trump is sending one-time $90 checks to about 20.8M Medicare enrollees, roughly $2B, this month. Fewer than 1 in 3 Medicare recipients qualify. www.pbs.org/newshour/pol... So now we're buying votes? I thought that was illegal. Sine timore aut favore

mirrorindy.orgHogsett rode 'Mr. Clean' image into office. Did he deliver on ethics promises?The Indianapolis mayor would not assess his own record in Indy. So we did it for him.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett (D) ran in 2015 saying no-bid contracts should "never be the default." IndyStar/Mirror Indy found at least $6.5 million in no-bid contracts went to his allies. mirrorindy.org/indianapolis... This is why people no longer trust Democrats. Sine timore aut favore

clickondetroit.comTrump says his super PAC will pay for taxpayer-funded ads that sparked backlash for glorifying himPresident Donald Trump says he will stop using taxpayer funds for ads promoting himself.

Trump says his super PAC will now pay for the "Patriotic Ads" that cost taxpayers at least $1.5M. www.clickondetroit.com/news/politic... So NOW we care who pays? Who's paying us back for the ones that already aired? Sine timore aut favore

abc7.comTrump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign event"They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles...," Trump said about the Iran war. "This is a very small price to pay, and it's going to be over with very soon."

Trump on Iran: "They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay." abc7.com/story/trump-... Mr. President, clarify this statement. It sounds like you're advocating for a foreign attack on Americans. Sine timore aut favore

bit.lyExclusive: Soldiers and Gold Star families press Army leadership after deadly Iranian drone strikeIt's the deadliest strike against American troops during the war with Iran. Now U.S. soldiers wounded in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait are raising their concerns publicly about whether commanders underestimated the threat and saying the military medical system failed them.

AP: Officers warned Kuwait's Port Shuaiba lacked drone defenses. An Iranian drone killed 6 U.S. troops. No mass-casualty plan. Some wounded got barracks, not hospital beds. Tina Marzan, whose husband died: "We have the right to know what really happened." Yes. Yes you do. Sine timore aut favore

The Associated Press@apnews.com

AP Exclusive: Survivors of a drone attack that killed six U.S. soldiers question Army leadership over safety and the medical care that followed.

nytimes.comJohn Roberts and His IslandAfter decades of potlucks and paddle-boarding on Maine’s midcoast, rising anger and protests have left the Supreme Court’s chief justice more isolated than ever.

Chief Justice Saddened to Learn His Summer Retreat Is in America www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/u... You may not do politics, John, but politics sure does you. Sorry the lobster dinners at the summer home got awkward. Sine timore aut favore

Reserved Judgment Studio reposted

Taniel

@taniel.bsky.social

If you're in these 3 states, *TODAY* is deadline to register to vote. Alaska Rhode Island South Carolina Even if you think you've registered: doesn't hurt to check everything is in order. Do it now. And there's a lot to vote for across them. A thread with stakes on each. ⬇️

propublica.orgOregon Housing Director Failed to Report Husband’s Related Business InterestsAndrea Bell, executive director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, filed amended state ethics paperwork after ProPublica asked about her husband’s work at a firm that’s consulted on projects re...

Oregon housing chief Andrea Bell: $53.5M+ in state funds went to projects her husband's firm worked on. She disclosed his job the day ProPublica asked. www.propublica.org/article/oreg... Attn Gov. Kotek (D): disclosing after a reporter calls isn't disclosure. It's CYA. Sine timore aut favore

lufkindailynews.comIn crude Ohio rally speech, Trump says he may not help if Democrats winBy Bo Erickson and Nandita Bose VANDALIA, Ohio, Oct 3 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump used an Ohio rally on Saturday to mix profane attacks on Democrats with promises

Trump in Ohio Saturday, on Democratic governor nominee Amy Acton: "But I'm not going to help her." lufkindailynews.com/news_reuters... One can only imagine the outcry had Barack Obama or Joe Biden said this about a Republican running for governor. Sine timore aut favore

calmatters.orgNewsom vetoes bill meant to protect homes and schools from polluting manufacturersThe bill would've narrowed a manufacturing exemption Newsom pushed last year. Its author says she'll try again in 2026.

CA Gov. Newsom vetoes bill to limit factory exemption near homes and schools calmatters.org/environment/... Clean air shouldn't be up for debate. Gavin, how about putting your citizens ahead of corporations? Sine timore aut favore

opb.orgTrump calls Iranian plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz not 'acceptable'President Trump said he was rejecting an Iranian plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian proposal is similar to a memorandum of understanding agreed upon by the U.S. and Iran back in June.

Trump rejects Iran's plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which closed days after he attacked Iran in Feb, without congressional approval. www.opb.org/article/2026... Gas/diesel were $2.94/$3.81 before the "special military operation." Now: $4.48/$6.53. SO. MUCH. WINNING. Sine timore aut favore

click2houston.comTaxpayer-funded pro-Trump TV ad campaign grows with new spot, wider reachThe Trump administration appears to be expanding its campaign of taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting President Donald Trump.

Your tax dollars are paying for pro-Trump TV ads, now $430K+ and counting. The White House calls them "public service announcements" and won't say which agency paid. www.click2houston.com/news/politic... Pravda would be proud. Sine timore aut favore

clickondetroit.comTrump administration uses rare authority to claw back nearly $1B in spending approved by CongressPresident Donald Trump is canceling nearly $1 billion in spending approved by Congress.

The White House is clawing back ~$1B Congress approved, timed so the money expires before Congress can vote. That's illegal. www.clickondetroit.com/news/politic... "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law." —Art. I Sine timore aut favore

propublica.orgThe FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the WayAfter the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...

FBI Investigated Sen. Susan Collins Over Defense Contractor's Illegal Campaign Donations to Her Super PAC www.propublica.org/article/fbi-... Gutted Roe. Gutted healthcare. Gutted the middle class. FINALLY, something Susan Collins is actually concerned about. The truth. Sine timore aut favore

abcnews.comICE is wasting tens of millions of dollars on 'uninformed' detention projects, report findsAn investigation has found that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies have wasted tens of millions of dollars pursuing uninformed plans to increase detention capacity, and the to...

GAO report: ICE squandered millions on failed detention expansion, $3M unused tents, $1.07B warehouse purchase abandoned abcnews.com/US/wireStory... Business as usual. Yet another reason to eliminate this agency and start over from scratch. Sine timore aut favore

npr.orgMortgage rates have just surpassed 7% for the first time in well over a yearRates have climbed more than a full percentage point since the U.S. war against Iran started.

30-year mortgage rates hit 7% for first time in 18+ months as housing affordability crisis deepens www.npr.org/2026/09/24/n... Massive inflation, unaffordable housing, and stagnant wages. The American Dream has become nothing more than a marketing slogan. What a shame. Sine timore aut favore

Health Secretary Kennedy received $4M book deals from publisher friend + $270K in luxury travel from security executive www.npr.org/2026/09/22/n... To the surprise of no one. Sine timore aut favore

npr.orgnpr.org

ms.nowNetanyahu: Attacking Iran was ‘one of easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make’The defiant Israeli prime minister was booed, and some delegations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly Hall as he called them “moral cowards.”

Israeli PM boasts at UN that Iran strike was simple choice; walkouts erupt as delegates reject war rhetoric www.ms.now/news/netanya... War is always easy when you're spending someone else's blood and money. Sine timore aut favore

npr.orgFederal immigration agent shoots and injures man in Austin, TexasThe Department of Homeland Security said Monday it was leading the investigation into the officer involved in a shooting of "an illegal alien from Venezuela" during an operation in Austin, Texas.

ICE Agent Shoots DoorDash Driver in Austin; Man Detained With Bullet Still Lodged in His Back www.npr.org/2026/09/20/n... Law enforcement is critical to a safe, civilized society. But THIS is why an increasing number of Americans hold unfavorable views of law enforcement.

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I can't imagine how those LEOs would feel if THEY were in a similar position. Until this STOPS being the norm, I firmly stand behind this statement. A.C.A.B. Why? If you're a "good" cop who watched this and did nothing—didn't speak up, didn't arrest the offending officers—you're in the same boat.

CHRIST—I don't understand how we got here in America. Thin blue line my ASS. Sine timore aut favore

When you're in LE custody, you should be treated with dignity and respect. That's what a civilized society does. This isn't a hot take. A human being had a bullet lodged near his spine for 6+ hours. Denied basic medical care. DENIED REMOVING THE FUCKING BULLET so they could be processed.

prospect.orgThe Big Crypto Whiff - The American ProspectThe crypto industry wasn’t able to buy support for its biggest legislative priority in the Senate this week, despite unparalleled levels of spending in the midterms.

Trump's $1.4 Billion Crypto Holdings Sink Senate Regulation Bill prospect.org/2026/09/17/c... Apparently the checks didn't clear in time. Sine timore aut favore

salon.comTrump’s arch now comes with snipers - Salon.comThe president says his monument will also become a military complex. Several claims to do so just don’t add up

Trump's Planned DC Monument to Double as Military Drone and Sniper Facility www.salon.com/2026/09/20/t... Totally normal thing for an American President to want built. Sine timore aut favore

npr.orgTrump says he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White HouseThe president chalked the ban up to what he called unfavorable coverage, and he threatened that bans on other media companies could be coming.

Trump Bars Major News Outlets from White House Over Coverage www.npr.org/2026/09/18/g... Look, I'm not a big fan of these corporate rags, but could Trump at least PRETEND to understand the first amendment? Sine timore aut favore

rawstory.com'He called you lyin' Ted': Cruz bootlicks Trump's 'instinctual genius' over past insultSen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) praised President Donald Trump's "instinctual genius" for the "Lyin' Ted" attack that the president used against him in the 2016 primary.Cruz made the remarks to host Miranda Devi...

Republican Senator Praises Trump After Years of Public Humiliation www.rawstory.com/lyin-ted-cru... No offense to the men and women in the chair, but we didn't think that such a prominent senator would enjoy being cuckooed so hard. Sine timore aut favore

npr.orgThe Federal Reserve raises interest rates by a quarter percentage pointThe Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates to 3.75%-4.00%, its first hike since 2023. www.npr.org/2026/09/17/n... So. Much. Winning. Please. Stop. I. Can't. Take. It. Any. More. Sine timore aut favore

clerk.house.govRoll Call 298 Roll Call 298, Bill Number: H. Res. 1486, 119th Congress, 2nd SessionVOTE QUESTION: On Motion to Table, DESCRIPTION: Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors, VOTE TYPE: Yea-And-Nay, STATUS: Passed

The House voted 232-147 to kill an impeachment resolution against Trump. 19 Democrats joined Republicans and 46 more voted present. clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026298 With votes like these, you can tell how serious Democratic leadership is about protecting democracy. Sine timore aut favore

npr.orgJudge blocks DHS from acting against a man over a harsh email to an ICE officialICE agents turned up at David Streever's home over a harsh email he sent to an ICE official. Now a court order prevents the federal government from making additional threats against him.

A federal judge blocked DHS from prosecuting a man over a critical email he sent to an ICE official. www.npr.org/2026/09/15/n... YOU MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW - did the Feds mean themselves? Sine timore aut favore

Two federal lawsuits were filed to stop armed ICE agents from being at polling places. www.npr.org/2026/09/18/n... Good ol' fashioned voter intimidation. Jim Crow would be proud. Sine timore aut favore

issueone.orgTop super PACs raise nearly $200 million and counting from secret donors ahead of the 2026 midterms - Issue OneMysterious donors are playing a major role in the 2026 midterms, and while Republicans are benefiting from more secret money, both parties are getting in on the action. According to…

Republican and Democratic super PACs raised $715 million this cycle, with $200 million from undisclosed donors. issueone.org/articles/top... Remember this when Democrats fail to pass campaign finance reform when they take power again. Sine timore aut favore

upi.comTrump administration paid federal employees $9.5B not to work under DOGE program - UPI.comThe government paid federal employees more than $9 billion not to work as part of a Department of Government Efficiency program, a new report said.

A GAO report found the DOGE program paid 154,000 federal workers $9.5 billion to not work. www.gao.gov/products/gao... This money could have funded: 9.5M veteran health visits 1.3M kids' CHIP coverage 380K housing vouchers Found the waste, fraud, and abuse. Thanks...Elon. Sine timore aut favore