News: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has announced she is not running for re-election in 2026 This will be her last term in office www.notus.org/democrats/na...

NOTUS’ @oriana.bsky.social breaks down Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s decision to have Maryland join the national redistricting battle.

SCOOP: Seth Moulton, who once said he opposes trans girls playing in girls' sports, commits to "support and lead legislation like the Transgender Bill of Rights" if elected senator A look into how his past comments come into play in his challenge against Ed Markey: www.notus.org/campaigns/se...

The Democratic Senate primary in Massachusetts is set to be the first Democrat on Democrat fight defined by the candidates’ positions on transgender issues. www.notus.org/campaigns/se...

SCOOP: Seth Moulton, who once said he opposes trans girls playing in girls' sports, commits to "support and lead legislation like the Transgender Bill of Rights" if elected senator A look into how his past comments come into play in his challenge against Ed Markey: www.notus.org/campaigns/se...

News: The Trump administration told a federal judge it will partially fund SNAP benefits in November, using $4.65 billion in contingency funds to do so This will cover 50% of beneficiaries' current allotment, the Trump admin said The government normally spends around $8 billion on SNAP per month

Haley Stevens’ Campaign Is Underwhelming Democrats Democrats say the establishment favorite’s Michigan Senate campaign isn’t ready for primetime — and it could cost the party the general election. w/@daniellamicaela.bsky.social www.notus.org/2026-electio...

The Trump administration is prosecuting progressive House candidate Kat Abughazaleh for allegedly assaulting an ICE officer Abughazaleh said the indictment against her and 5 other people is “a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent” www.notus.org/immigration/...

Democrats’ grassroots supporters are happy with their lawmakers — for once They’re glad Dems haven’t caved to pressures to end the shutdown Dems are finally “maximizing leverage points that they have,” one grassroots leader said w/ Avani Kalra, @evanmcs.bsky.social www.notus.org/democrats/sh...

NEW: A federal judge again blocked the Trump admin from conducting layoffs during the shutdown The admin said RIFs are "the democratic thing to do" The judge disagreed: The RIFs "are intended for the purpose of political retribution" w/ @annackramer.bsky.social www.notus.org/courts/feder...

NEWS: A federal judge has barred the Trump administration's mass layoff plan on a more permanent basis. During the hearing, Trump administration attorney Michael Velchik said about the RIFs: "Morally, this is the right thing to do." w/ @oriana.bsky.social

New: The largest union of federal workers says Senate Democrats should support the GOP funding bill to end the shutdown But Democrats say they don't *actually* mean that "I work very closely with them," Sen. Tim Kaine said, "the AFGE would not want us to cut a deal" www.notus.org/democrats/de...

👀 The AFGE, the largest union representing federal workers, is officially calling for the end of the shutdown: “Unfortunately, shutdowns have become a recurring tactic in Washington. But there is no ‘winning’ a government shutdown,” AFGE’s president said www.afge.org/article/its-...

New from me in Norfolk: Once again, a newly recruited prosecutor to the eastern district of Virginia tells a judge they're still figuring out the evidence. At arraignment. After an indictment. Against someone on Trump's enemies list. @notus.com: www.notus.org/courts/letit...

Hakeem Jeffries will reportedly endorse Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor today

BREAKING: Arizona has officially sued the House of Representatives over Mike Johnson's decision to not swear in Adelita Grijalva, who was elected in a special election one month ago www.notus.org/house/adelit...

NEWS: The Interior Department is planning on firing more than 2000 people, including hundreds at the National Park Service. Interior gave new detailed numbers after a federal judge got very frustrated and expanded her restraining order. www.notus.org/trump-white-...

🔔 Follow us at @notusperspectives.bsky.social to read more www.semafor.com/article/10/1...

Sen. Rand Paul told me his relationship with the Trump admin wasn't "terrible" on Wednesday, despite not voting with Republicans on the shutdown. On Friday, Trump called Paul "a nasty liddle' guy." Read more about their disconnect: www.notus.org/republicans/...

UPDATE: A federal judge will have a hearing today at 6pm ET for the administration to update the court on these allegedly planned mass layoffs from the Department of Interior This comes after the judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the administration from issuing any RIFs

ICYMI: Looks as if Interior Department is thinking about firing a bunch of people on Monday, according to a legal filing last night. This would violate a judge’s temporary restraining order on the shutdown firings.

NEW: Federal courts are flooded with lawsuits against the Trump admin — a result of legal groups’ months-long, and in some cases years-long, preparation for Trump 2.0 One lawyer said Trump’s 1st term was “dress rehearsal,” and now they know what they’re up against www.notus.org/courts/legal...

NEW: @axios.com surveyed Democrats running for House across the country. 113 replied: 31 said they would definitely/likely vote for Jeffries as speaker or leader 57 were non-committal 25 said no/likely no Much more here: www.axios.com/2025/10/16/h...

NEW: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump admin's shutdown RIFs and barred officials from conducting more layoffs "This hatchet is falling on the heads of employees all across the nation," the judge told Trump's lawyer in a hearing w/ @annackramer.bsky.social www.notus.org/courts/judge...

Energy Department finally giving out a list of the offices getting hit with layoffs. The cuts span every office that does work on efficiency, affordability, and clean power. No breakdown of how many people in each office. Also hearing that no one has actually been fired yet.

NEW: House Democrats tell @axios.com not to expect them to initiate a legal fight over Trump's methods for paying troops and funding WIC. "The legality is questionable," said one lawmaker. "But politically I hope Democrats don't do it." More here: www.axios.com/2025/10/15/t...

SCOOP: Here's a breakdown of the 982 RIF'd HHS employees by division, per an HHS guidance that was reviewed by NOTUS: CDC -- 596 employees SAMHSA -- 125 HRSA -- 99 OASH -- 55 ACF -- 47 ASPR -- 41 ASA -- 18 ASPA -- 1 Full story w/ @oriana.bsky.social: www.notus.org/health-scien...

Update: A federal judge officially set a hearing on whether to issue a temporary restraining order on the Trump administration's shutdown layoffs on Oct. 15 ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/doc1/0351263...

NEWS: Trump administration officials have revealed that, so far, over 4,100 federal workers have been laid off in this round of RIFs The administration is "actively considering whether to conduct additional RIFs related to" the shutdown, per a new court filing www.notus.org/trump-white-...

57% of the ads from Republicans in the Virginia governor's race have focused on transgender issues. Sign of things to come from the GOP in 2026. W/ @oriana.bsky.social www.notus.org/2025-electio...

NEW: Republicans are going all in on anti-trans messaging in Virginia’s governor race, even more than Trump did in 2024 57% of their ads have focused on trans issues It’s a blueprint for 2026 — but not all Republicans think it’s a good idea w/ @alexroarty.bsky.social www.notus.org/2025-electio...

SCOOP: Senate Dems are quietly discussing how to protect themselves from Trump’s legal threats One senator said “lots” are “asking questions about litigation insurance,” which they can now get partially reimbursed Others are investing more in home security www.notus.org/democrats/tr...

NEW: House Republicans want to start a fight over how doctors are trained to provide abortions Hidden in a GOP funding bill is a new rider that could threaten hospitals' access to federal funding that provide abortion training for medical residents www.notus.org/policy/house...

During today's SCOTUS oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, Samuel Alito questioned the medical consensus establishing that conversion therapy is harmful: "Have there been times when the medical consensus has been politicized? Has been taken over by ideology?," he said www.notus.org/courts/supre...

you should tune in while you’re awake listening to ‘the life of a showgirl’ 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

NEW: HHS tells me that the FDA's quiet approval of a new generic mifepristone is *not* an endorsement of abortion pills HHS is still committed to "conducting a study of the reported adverse effects of mifepristone," a spox said www.notus.org/health-scien...

New: The Supreme Court tentatively green-lit Trump's pocket rescissions, which will make ending a shutdown hard — and the *entire* approps process harder "What’s the point of passing a bill if they just do whatever the hell they want to do anyway?," one Senate Dem said www.notus.org/courts/scotu...

With government funding lapsing last night, this marks the fourth shutdown under Trump: 1. Jan. 19, 2018 - Jan. 22, 2018 2. Feb. 9, 2018 - Feb. 9, 2018 (lasted over five hours) 3. Dec. 21, 2018 - Jan. 25, 2019 (longest shutdown in U.S. history) 4. Oct. 1, 2025 - ???

Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva is in limbo: she hasn't been sworn in, and a gov shutdown is around the corner. “At this point, I can't hire staff. We don't have an office. I can't get around without being escorted,” Grijalva said. w/ @oriana.bsky.social www.notus.org/congress/ade...

Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva hasn't been sworn in, so she has to roam Congress with an escort I saw her this morning going through security along visitors — something lawmakers don't need to do when walking into the Capitol More on her limbo status here: www.notus.org/congress/ade...

News: OPM has determined that federal workers handling the mass firings of other govt workers should be deemed essential during a shutdown This comes after OMB directed agencies to prep for mass firings if there's a shutdown this week By @annackramer.bsky.social: www.notus.org/trump-white-...

NEWS: The Trump administration has declared that people working on RIFs are essential workers and can be asked to keep working if the government shuts down

Some Democrats are going so far as to scour their own personal finances to ensure there isn’t anything the Trump administration could use to try to prosecute them. “Many are ... going through mortgages, tax returns, etc.," one senior House Dem told @axios.com t.co/LIrNaBGOHY

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is taking the biggest stage in football. The musician, who recently wrapped a residency in Puerto Rico, was announced as the Super Bowl LX halftime show performer on Sunday. https://cnn.it/4pQmAeM

and they announced it on hispanic heritage month

Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.

The FEC has canceled all of its scheduled public meetings until 2026 as the last remaining Republican commissioner heads out the door, deepening a defacto shutdown that's left the federal campaign finance regulator "hobbled" for months. www.notus.org/2026-electio...

New: Oversight House Dems released docs from the Epstein estate showing that Elon Musk may have visited Jeffrey Epstein's island "Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)," reads Epstein’s Dec. 6, 2014 schedule w/@daniellamicaela.bsky.social www.notus.org/us-news/epst...

New: Trump opponents’ message was simple: They won’t be intimidated by what Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia called “mob boss-style extortion from Trump.” www.notus.org/democrats/de... with @oriana.bsky.social

NEW: Ryan Walters is considering resigning from his post as superintendent of Oklahoma schools. w/ @reesegorman.bsky.social for @notus.com www.notus.org/oklahoma/rya...