Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Don Lemon's right

Not a Don Lemon fan. I think he runs with the pack too often. But this story whining about him saying Megyn Kelly looks trans?

I gotta defend him here.

First off, she does. So does Riley Gaines. That's why, many of us wonder, if they're always attacking trans people because they themselves were mistaken for trans?

He's using trans as an insult!!!! No, he's not. He's not attacking trans people nor is he calling them ugly. He's merely noting that Megyn Kelly looks trans (again, she does).

This is just nonsense. And, again, not a Don Lemon groupie. But this is beyond stupid.

Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Thursday, October 30, 2025. Politics, politics, the candidate who needs to drop out (and take the liars who are pimping him with him), a dubious attack on Zohran, the need to understand that constituents consume information in a multitude of ways, Chump's shutdown continues and continues to harm the country, a look at some of the many attacks ICE is carrying out as they break the law, and much more.

Let's start with campaign politics. Specifically the trash that is Graham Platner -- a liar, a racist, a homophobe, a denier of rape, a sexist, a mercenary who worked for Blackwater and so much more -- we noted him yesterday but there's still more to cover..

He' got an army of whores on his side. Including Krystal and Kyle.

When you want to know what Democrat to back, do you go to Krystal and Kyle? I mean, in the summer of 2024, who were they endorsing? O, that's right . . . Democratic Party candidate Jill Stein.

What's that? She was the Green Party candidate. Then Joe dropped out and they walked away from Jill. But if Joe hadn't dropped out, these good' Democrats (Socialists, not Democrats) were going to vote for Jill Stein.

Kyle has a tendency to lie off his YOUTUBE channel, he's pick some criticism online and he'll shoot these e-mails out to everyone he knows denying the criticism and calling the person a liar. So you can click here to see the endorsement. Or you can click here.

Kyle is a DSA-er, not a Democrat. His Justice Democrats were all Socialists with DSA. They couldn't run as socialsits because they were cowards. Rashida Tlaib, to her credit, stopped her double life when she endorsed Zohran early on this year (endorsed him for NYC mayor). I don't like tricksters. I don't like people who lie to you and try to manipulate you to get you to vote the way they want you to.

That's all Kyle and Krystal have ever been. When they were pimping Marianne Williamson for the 2024 presidential nominee, they got all bent out of shape when people started pointing out that she wasn't just an author and guest on their show, she had also just attended their wedding. It was like when Chris Hedges tried to pose as 'just a journalist' when he wrote about Cornel West 'getting' the People's Party's presidential nomination -- and he left out the part about the deal was negotiated by him (Hedges) and he was supposed to be the running mate until the last minute when Chris' wife said no. You didn't get that in the pieces Chris wrote, nor in all the YOUTUBE echo chamber programs he went on -- programs like Krystal and Kyle's. Poor Cornel. He wasn't ready for that run to put it mildly. And the reason we covered Chris' lies to readers and viewers, his attempts to manipulate them, was because they hadn't clued Cornel in. Cornel went on a live program and started answering questions and answering with the truth. Yeah, it was new, but Chris came to him and told him that he could be the People's Party's presidential nominee and he said he'd be Cornel's running mate and that was their plan but then Chris' wife . . .

We covered it here and we covered it at THIRD. You didn't see THE NATION cover it, did you? Or Krystal and Kyle. Or anyone in the Circle Jerk. That's because it wasn't news to them. They'd known about it from the start and they'd chosen to ignore it so they manipulate you.

And they lie like that all the time.

Good for Rashida for coming out. You can't run AOC for president if you all hide in a political closet. AOC is a Socialist and Kyle and Krystal may be able to team with Sam Seder and others to lie but that's not going to hold in the real world. And not during a real national campaign.

DSA is a joke. It's become a bigger joke as years have gone by. I've never had respect for it because 'the plan' was always that they'd take over the Democratic Party from within. Why did you have to lie to do that?

SEP? They're Socialists. They don't lie about being Socialists. They run a candidate for president every four years without hiding or insisting that the candidate isn't a Socialist. They've never done -- as Kyle did with TYT's Cenk -- come up with a group of Socialists and dub that group "Justice Democrats" in order to fool voters.

Jacob Crosse (WSWS -- the SEP's publication) has a great article on this nonsense that went up last night:

Since it was revealed earlier this month that Graham Platner, the Bernie Sanders-endorsed Democratic candidate for Maine’s Senate seat, had a Totenkopf skull and crossbones Nazi tattoo on his chest for nearly two decades while serving as a soldier/mercenary for US imperialism, the pseudo-left and self-proclaimed “progressive” Democrats have lined up in defense of the far-right candidate.

This campaign is being led by Jacobin magazine and joined by figures such as Krystal Ball of Breaking Points. They have pointed to Platner’s posting history on Reddit to claim that his comments, which Platner deleted but had written under the handle “P-Hustle,” show a man with “progressive” and “anti-fascist” views rather than a “secret Nazi.”

Last week Jacobin’s Branko Marcetic published two articles in defense of Platner.

[. . .]

Likewise in an editorial segment on her program Breaking Points, Ball, a supporter of Sanders and the 2022 John Fetterman Senate campaign in Pennsylvania, said the revelation that Platner had a Nazi tattoo made her “more ride or die for him than ever.” She added that “we actually have access to his edgiest sh*t posts and none of them are far right.”

In fact, what Platner actually wrote under his “P-Hustle” handle, combined with his record in service of US imperialism, completely refutes these claims. Far from revealing a “progressive” outlook, his posts express open admiration for the most reactionary and murderous episodes in the history of American imperialism.

Sorry if I look askance at someone who posts about how he would have glady taken part in the Native American genocide in this country. Or someone who bragged about violating orders in order to shoot up Ramadi? I'm sorry, no. No and never. This site started as another way to try to end the Iraq War. We don't now pretend that terrorizing Iraqis -- which is what he did in Ramadi when he shot off mortar rounds that he wasn't supposed to -- is suddenly okay.

Back to the article:

Platner’s entire public persona—a “working-class veteran” turned “oyster farmer”—is a political fabrication. As a teenager he attended two private schools, including the $75,000-a-year Hotchkiss School, an elite Connecticut prep school whose alumni included CIA Director Porter Goss, Jonathan Bush (President George H.W. Bush’s brother and investment banker), William Clay Ford Sr. and Jr., Robert Lehman of Lehman Brothers Inc., Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart and Clinton adviser Strobe Talbott. His grandfather, Warren Platner, was a world-renowned architect and designer as his New York Times obituary notes, and Platner’s father, Bronson Platner, is a prominent Maine attorney.

Far from an economic conscript forced to sign up for the US military out of desperation, Platner belongs to the upper strata of the American bourgeoisie—a layer whose sons move effortlessly between elite schools, the military and corporate or political office. His “populism” is as phony as his claims to have been unaware that he had a Nazi tattoo on his chest for over 18 years.

[. . .]

Bernie Sanders, Platner’s most prominent backer, went even further. Asked about the Nazi tattoo in an interview with Axios last week, Sanders downplayed the issue entirely, “Between you and me there might be one or two more important issues.”

This from the man who supported apartheid. This from the man who all but the White faux left knows has a long history of racism and, in the midst of one presidential campaign, had to pay off an employee and get her to sign an NDA when she filed a complaint about the racist work environment he had created.

And that's really what it comes down to. The DSA is pimping racism. They know Platner's history but they think racism is the answer. They always do this -- it's what Liza Featherstone was doing in the piece we called out Monday.

Tressie McMillan Cottom covers this reality very well at THE NEW YORK TIMES:

I cannot swear to know the minds of men like Murphy and Sanders. But, were I a betting person, I’d wager someone else’s riches that they know racism and xenophobia are inextricably linked to America’s inchoate understanding of class politics. They know that “working class” has become a powerful political totem of its own — a discursive sleight of hand used to separate out white voters’ concerns as more legitimate, more materially grounded, more important than other voters’ concerns.

These senators are demonstrating a willful blindness that has become endemic in the Democratic Party. Their rhetoric — and the conventional wisdom that flows from it — suggests that we cannot talk about economic solutions without abandoning our commitment to the Black, Latino, gay, transgender and female poor that are the lifeblood of the Democratic Party’s base. The conceit at the heart of that belief is that poor white people are too racist, and too uniquely ignorant of their racism, to vote in their best interests. Therefore, Democrats have to accept a little racism to win the working class.

It is an old argument. History will tell you that negotiating with racism or fascism or authoritarianism never ends well.

Exactly. We're going to have to stop there because we have so much more to cover. I'll work Zohran in later on but let's move to a different topic. Back when Chump was spacing out during campaign speeches ahead of the election, some swore that he would only deport the worst of the worst. Those with criminal records, they insisted. But he now uses his gestapo force to not only attack non-criminals but also to attack non-immigrants.

Andrea Cavallier (THE INDEPENDENT) reports:

Shocking video shows a chaotic scene on a quiet Chicago street as Border Patrol agents in tactical gear drag a 67-year-old man from his car while children in Halloween costumes look on in horror.

According to his running club, the man, who is a U.S. citizen, was returning from a team run when agents pulled him out of his vehicle, tackled him to the ground and kneeled on top of him, allegedly breaking six ribs and causing internal bleeding.

The incident unfolded Saturday in the city’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, where residents say the agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade amid an immigration enforcement operation.

In a statement shared on Instagram, the Chicago-based DWRunning club identified the victim as one of their athletes, although it did not name him.

“One of our athletes was on his way home from a team long run yesterday and as he turned onto his block, found that Border Control had the road blocked,” the club wrote.

“The agents threatened to break his window if he didn’t move his car. Before he could act, they pulled him out of his car, knelt on his back, and subdued him, though he never resisted. They broke six of his ribs and caused internal bleeding.”

White House creep and erectile dysfunction spokesperson Stephen Miller insists that ICE can do this. The law, of course, says otherwise and always has. Need another example of the gestapo in action? Maria Villarroel (THE MIRROR) reports:

A Houston teenager said a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent choked him, beat him, and yelled racial slurs at him when he was on his way to school. He is a U.S. citizen.

The incident occurred on Thursday, Oct. 23, when Arnoldo Bazan, 16, was being driven to school by his father, Arnulfo Bazan.

As they were on their way, an unmarked vehicle pulled over their car, Bazan recalled during a press conference. When they stopped, officers who were dressed in plainclothes and wore no insignias approached their car, but did not identify themselves as law enforcement.

“Their vests, they didn’t say ‘police’ (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), nothing. And that’s when me and my dad got scared because they started hitting our window, tried to open the door,” the younger Bazan said. “Me and my dad went to fight-or-flight mode, and we just backed away.”

The dad drove away in fear, but they were chased by the agents and rammed into their car several times. Eventually, the two stopped their car and tried to flee the situation, but were instead tackled and choked by the agents in a restaurant supply store.

“I saw they started choking him, kicking him, punching him,” Barzan said. “It’s when I reacted, I just ran to my dad, and (another agent) grabbed my shirt. I didn’t hit nobody. I didn’t do nothing to nobody. I was just standing there recording on my phone. And they took my phone. Then that’s when they tackled me. I said I was underage, the dude started choking me more.”

In America, I believe those of us alive in the 90s and after are all familiar with car chases. The most famous, of course, being the Bronco car chase. Help me out on this, when did the police begin ramming OJ's Bronco? Oh, that's right, never. Because you're not supposed to do that. Stephen Miller makes excuses and lies and, yes, encourages people to break the law. ICE is public lice. They have given themselves a bad name. They are poorly trained and they are poorly supervised. Instead of upping the standards, they're actually lowering them. Law professor John Pfaff writes at MSNBC:

And while the low quality of ICE recruits is making it harder for them to hit their target, it also means that the ones they do hire are likely to be less qualified, and thus more likely to do even more harm when deployed. But it is clear that Trump and his immigration consigliere, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, hope to build up ICE as a way to strike out at Democratic cities, and the ongoing struggles to hire more people suggest that goal may prove elusive.

They do not follow the law. They threaten. They bully. They attack. There are rules in place on how police officers and others can interact with the public. ICE doesn't believe they're bound by those rules. Yelena Mandenberg (THE MIRROR) notes:

A shocking video shows an Immigration and Customs Agent wearing an American Flag mask break in a woman's car window to arrest her in Addison, Illinois.

Several people were taken into custody during the incident. A statement from ICE says two people taken into custody are being processed to face immigration proceedings. Community members say several people were arrested, and some unnecessarily.

The incident took place near the 300 block of West Lake Street, and left the community shaken. “Me, as a U.S. citizen, even us are afraid of these guys,” said a local business leader who asked to remain anonymous. “We feel this is something that is not right, not legal," he said to WGNTV.

There's so much wrong there. Stephen Miller, can you step up and explain one thing, who okayed the outfit of the ICE agent. Donald Chump has done an illegal executive order on flag burning that won't stand up in court; however, an ICE agent isn't a private citizen. I know Miller is an uneducated idiot so let's him out:

Using the American flag as a mask is a violation of the U.S. Flag Code's guidelines for respecting the flag. However, violating the Flag Code is not illegal for private citizens and carries no penalties, as the Supreme Court has ruled that laws prohibiting desecration are unconstitutional violations of the First Amendment.

The ICE agent violated the Flag Code guidelines in public and on the clock. That should result in firing by a president who thinks he can make it illegal to burn the flag. And look at the wear and tear and dirt on the flag that is worn by the ICE agent. It's a desecration of the flag of the United States of America. Study up on that, Stephen Miller.

There was an incident in Pasadena, Texas Monday. We're going to ignore Homeland Security and Liar Trish because they are serial liars and what people present say happened contradicts the false assertions (yes, they can be presumed to be false assertions -- you lie on legal paperwork and in court and after awhile you're seen as a liar). Ahmed Humble (HOUSTON CHRONICLE) reports:

Family members and neighbors, however, described a chaotic scene.

KHOU 11 spoke with Margarita Barron, who said her husband, brother and neighbor were taken into custody. The three men, she explained, left for work around 5 a.m. and were followed by immigration agents after stopping at a nearby gas station. When they realized they were being trailed, they returned home near the corner of West Houston Avenue and Dade Street.

"They told us (to) get out of the house," she told KHOU 11 in Spanish. "They were going to tear-gas the house. We have babies inside."

A neighbor, Gaby Gonzalez, also told the CBS affiliate she was inside her home at the time when she claimed ICE agents cut her power and tried breaking into her home through a window, the roof and underneath. She claims they never presented a warrant and only wanted the three men inside and threatened to use tear gas if they didn't surrender. After about seven hours, they turned themselves in to the authorities.

Pasadena District C Councilman Emmanuel Guerrero, in a statement to Chron, said he understands ICE has its responsibilities but strongly disagreed with the methods used by officers.

Stephen Miller, can we hear you defend that? Explain how warrants aren't needed and that ICE can cut power to a house and break into a home via a window, the roof or underneath? What country do you think you're in right now, Stephen Miller, because this is not America.

Let's move back over to politics. Zohran Mamdani is in the news. He's the Democratic Party nominee for Mayor of NYC. A few e-mails asked what I thought of the "issue" (their term) with his father. Jerry Dunleavy (JUST THE NEWS) reports:

Zohran Mamdani's father Mahmood - a prominent leftist in his own right - penned a book in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 where he argued that there was a "moral equivalence" between the United States and al-Qaeda, compared the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center, blamed the U.S. for 9/11 and al-Qaeda, and much more.

Mahmood Mamdani is a longtime tenured Columbia University professor, where the school says he "specializes in the study of colonialism, anti-colonialism, and decolonization." Raised in Uganda and of Indian descent, the likely future mayor's father also previously taught at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, Makerere University in Uganda, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The leftwing academic wrote a 2004 book - Good Muslim, Bad Muslim - which may help explain his son's views on terrorism.

Ten e-mailing about that are supporting Andrew Cuomo who lost the Democratic Party nomination and is running as an independent. They're hoping that reading that will make me endorse Andrew. I don't endorse in elections I can't vote in. As for what I think of the "issue" (forty-three more people e-mailed about it without expressing who they would vote for or if they could vote in the election)?

What's the problem? Are people really that stupid? What's the problem?

Poli sci major. We would have consumed Mahmood Mamdani's book quickly and then spent several classes debating its points. Some of us would agree with it, some of us wouldn't. Some of us would split the difference. (If this was undergrad and not grad school, I'm sure some of the ones attacking it the most would be the ones who hadn't read the book.) College is about brain power. He's taking a stand and he's making an argument. It's not hate speech. It's a simple political argument being made. There's nothing wrong with it.

In terms of Zohran responding? He can respond however he thinks best. Were I him, I'd probably say something along the lines of, "My father's written many books. Not sure I remember everything in that one but I'm proud of my father and I think it's pretty sad when a campaign tries to make someone insult their own father. Proud of him."

Because that is what's going on. Zohran didn't take the course. He may or may not have read the book. But if Cuomo's tactic is to try to shame Zohran into slamming his own father, that's pretty sad and pretty low.

I'll add that I find it interesting that right-wing outlets (like JUST THE NEWS) are working to try to take down Zohran to elect Cuomo. That's the sort of thing that should honestly make Andrew drop out. Chris is a joke but Andrew did pay attention to what his father taught him and there's no way in the world Mario would have approved of this sort of collusion.

Meanwhile, support for Convicted Felon Chump continues to decline. Marni Rose McFall (NEWSWEEK) reports:

President Donald Trump’s support among young people has hit a new low, according to a poll.

The survey, conducted by YouGov/The Economist between October 24 and 27, shows that Trump has a net approval rating of around -50 points among voters under the age of 30.

Young Americans have long leaned left and voted for the Democrats. But the 2024 presidential election saw a major shift, with a much higher proportion of Gen Z voters backing Trump.

According to AP VoteCast, voters aged between 18 to 29 supported Kamala Harris over Trump by 51 percent to 47 percent in 2024. This margin was significantly narrower than in 2020, when former President Joe Biden carried the same age group by 61 percent to Trump’s 36 percent.

Let's turn to the Epstein files -- thought we may get lost in politics. US House Rep Robert Garcia has been a leader on calling for the release of the Epstein Files and he is the Ranking Member on the House Oversight Committee. Matt Brown (AP) notes:

Garcia has sought to use his position as the committee’s ranking Democrat to weave his party’s disparate stances on Trump, affordability, corruption and democracy into a single message. Oversight Democrats have also sought information on the treatment of U.S. citizens by the Department of Homeland Security, gifts and payments to administration officials and the administration's response to natural disasters.

“I continue to think this is the most corrupt administration in American history, and we have a huge responsibility to investigate that corruption and to also try to make government work better for working people,” Garcia said.

Garcia has also been a critic of House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to delay the swearing in of Adelita Grijalva, a Democratic congresswoman-elect from Arizona. Johnson says Grijalva can't be sworn in until the government shutdown ends and legislative work resumes in the House. But Garcia and other Democrats say Johnson's real aim is to delay a vote on legislation that would broaden the subpoena for the Epstein files.

As Democrats revamp their media strategy, Garcia has encouraged Oversight Democrats to engage in new digital media to boost the party’s message. He's also been meeting with government reform groups to craft legislation around transparency that they hope to put in front of voters next year.

“I think on oversight we have a responsibility to gather the information and then to put it out to the court of public opinion, especially in front of Trump’s voters,” he said.

And he's right and he's wrong. And I said in a previous snapshot that after the shutdown was over I'd talk about how Chuck Schumer screwed up. These snapshots are dictated and that was actually just a private remark that I didn't realize was going in the snapshot until I heard about it after it was up. We need to reach all voters with messaging. And one problem that some people highlight is that Democrats in office -- especially those of a certain age -- do not grasp the changing environment. Younger voters are different and they get information differently. That's true and Garcia and others are so right to work on that.

But the country is not just young voters. It is also older voters. I think at the start of the Chump government shut down, Chuck should have done a lot more. I would've liked to have seen him speaking to MEIDASTOUCH NEWS, for example. But he didn't and he's someone who needs to be skilled on the changing environment. That's work that needs to be done. And I'll cut him some slack there.

Where I won't and why I think he needs to leave leadership?

He understands 'the world wide web' [www.] and he damn well knows that you're online office (website) is now more important than your physical office. Once upon a time, people actually visited physical offices to get press releases and updates. They really don't do that now. Older voters, however, still go to the online offices.

Chump's shut down started September 30th. Chuck is the Senate Minority Leader. Where was Chuck. He issued a press release on September 19th. And then his office didn't issue anything until October 14th (after I had been yelling about this offline along with many others). He needed to have something out and should have been up September 30th when the shutdown started.

That's not leadership. I can cut him some slack for not grasping the importance of YOUTUBERS and podcasters. He clearly needs someone to walk him through that. But when he's not even doing what he knows needs to be done?

Forget voters, there are reporters for periodicals whose work consists almost entirely of pull quoting from press releases. And he provided nothing to them either.

He failed. It was his job to lead on messaging.

Democratic Party leadership needs to lead on messaging and that does mean podcasts, that does mean going on the awful FOX "NEWS" if you -- like Pete Buttigieg -- are good at that, that does mean doing YOUTUBE programs and it does mean continuing to do press releases at your online offices. And some of the younger ones don't grasp that so young and old and in between Democrats in Congress should be working together to craft an information delivery system that covers all the bases -- and if you're not part of that, you shouldn't be part of leadership.

And we're failing, Democratic voters, if we think everyone needs to be Jasmine Crockett or AOC -- ready to tackle the new media and do it so wonderfully. We need people who know the workings of the two chambers, we need people who are idea people, we need people who are thinkers (maybe not the best speakers) because everyone can contribute if they're willing to. And, sorry to stay on this, when Chuck waits 15 days to do a press release on the shutdown, and then waits nine more days before doing another one? And then hasn't done one since? What the hell kind of leadership is that? He's the Minority Leader and that's supposed to pass for leadership? Senator Patty Murray is a workhorse. She keeps her head down and focuses on the work and is one of the MVPs the Democrats have in the Senate. 29. Since the shutdown started, Chuck's released two press releases on the shutdown. Patty's released 29. And unlike Chuck, she's also issued press releases on ICE, on Gaza, on authoritarian movement in this country, on everything imaginable.

Chuck and his office can only issue two press releases during that same period of time? It's time for Chuck to step down from leadership. He lacks the energy for the job.

The shutdown? Chump caused it and Republicans control both houses of Congress. Why are the Democrats? They're fighting for the American people. They're fighting for affordable healthcare. The Republicans (except for Marjorie Taylor Greene) aren't all concerned about the American people having affordable healthcare. Tami Luhby (CNN) reports:

Premiums for Affordable Care Act coverage will skyrocket 26%, on average, next year, according to a KFF analysis released Tuesday evening, just days before open enrollment starts on November 1.

The price hike is one of the largest jumps since Obamacare plans debuted more than a decade ago — and it doesn’t factor in the expiration of the enhanced premium subsidies.

Premiums for Affordable Care Act coverage will skyrocket 26%, on average, next year, according to a KFF analysis released Tuesday evening, just days before open enrollment starts on November 1.

The price hike is one of the largest jumps since Obamacare plans debuted more than a decade ago — and it doesn’t factor in the expiration of the enhanced premium subsidies.

November 1st, people will be without food assistance. Healthcare is going to go through the roof and instead of working with Democrats to address these issues that directly impact We The People, Chump's busying on his ballroom.

The economy is in the toilet but Chump's focus is his ballroom.

We're going to wind down with a press release from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office and -- please note -- Chuck Schumer hasn't issued his own press release (again, he and his office lack energy, it's time to leave leadership):

Video of Press Conference (Youtube)

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) hosted a press conference alongside health care creators in the U.S. Capitol to sound the alarm on the government shutdown and health care affordability crisis.

In a first-of-its-kind format, the senators invited content creators who are also health care professionals to share their stories at the press conference. The creators include Dr. Anita Patel, Dr. Fran Haydanek, Dr. Heather Irobunda, and Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, PA.

“While Donald Trump builds a fancy new ballroom for himself and his donors, Americans across the country are getting notices in the mail telling them their health care premiums are going up by thousands of dollars a year,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “Democrats are fighting back because we believe that health care isn’t just for rich people. No one should go bankrupt because they got sick.”

“Every mother deserves to walk into a delivery room without fear of losing everything—her home, her health insurance coverage, or her life—just because she dared to have a baby in America. We need to extend the subsidies that make care affordable,” said Dr. Fran Haydanek, a health care content creator and board-certified OBGYN. “I became an OBGYN to deliver healthy babies. I never imagined I'd have to stand here pleading for my patients’ ability to afford the care that keeps them alive.”

“I have intubated teenagers in diabetic comas because they were rationing insulin their family couldn’t afford. I have battled uncontrolled seizures in the ICU, which can cause permanent brain damage, because parents had to choose between their child’s seizure medications and paying their rent,” said Dr. Anita Patel, a health care content creator and Board-certified pediatric critical care physician. “When health care costs become unbearable, lifesaving EpiPens do not get refilled, a child’s sinus infection turns into meningitis, and ruptured appendicitis leads to septic shock from delayed care.”

“A lot of times, my patients can't come to their prenatal appointments because they can't afford the $2.90 to take the bus or the train. Let's not make it harder for them,” said Dr. Heather Irobunda, a health care content creator and board-certified OBGYN. “These folks are my neighbors. They're my friends. They're our friends, and they're valued members of our communities.”

“Health care is not a bargaining chip. It's not a luxury. It's the foundation of all of our lives. And it's time for every lawmaker to start acting like it,” said Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, a health care content creator and OBGYN Physician Assistant. “Caring about people shouldn't be radical. It should be part of their job.”

It doesn't matter if you don't have Medicaid, if you don't have Affordable Care Act, it's going to affect all of us, because hospitals, which depend on Medicaid funding, which depend on insured patients having coverage, are going to go down as well, because they're already running on negative margins, said Dr. Karen Tang, a health care content creator and board-certified OBGYN.

Senator Warren has led the charge collaborating and working with influencers in the Senate. Senator Warren was the first member of the Senate to host a creator briefing on Capitol Hill and has hosted more than half a dozen virtual creator briefings. She was also the first member of Congress to invite a content creator—not a celebrity—to testify before Congress.

###

The following sites updated:

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Quiet quitting

As the polling makes clear, everyone is running from Donald Chump. Some are doing so a little softer than others. For example, Russell Contreras (AXIOS) reports:

Evangelicals and Catholics uneasy with President Trump's rhetoric and immigration policies are subtly distancing themselves from MAGA — and taking some congregation members with them.

Driving the news: Some churches are seeing a "quiet quitting" trend as pastors avoid political sermons and help members disengage from Trump's movement — without ostracizing family members who might still be MAGA devotees.

"We've gotten more testimonials. I'm starting to now see 'Leaving MAGA' signs popping up on billboards, overpasses, and [at] No Kings protests," said Rich Logis, a Catholic ex-Trump supporter who founded a group called Leaving MAGA.

Catch up quick: Images of federal agents grabbing U.S. citizens or unauthorized immigrants who were picking up children from school have jolted some evangelicals who backed Trump in 2024.

Some pastors and their followers are angry that Trump's administration has lifted bans on immigration agents going into churches to make arrests.
Others are dismayed by cuts to humanitarian aid programs at home and abroad.

Those are good reasons. You stay with Chump at this point and he's leading you straight to hell. There is no part of him that resembles a Christian or a person of faith. He's just a greedy and corrupt con artist whose actions are killing people.

Need more reasons? From C.I.'s snapshot today:

Where's the strong economy? Are we going to have to wait for Chump to leave to provide jobs to Americans again? Tom Peterson (PENNY GEM) reports, "Amazon announced it will cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs on Oct. 27, 2025 – about 10% of its ~350,000 white-collar workforce. This is 'the largest reduction in Amazon’s corporate workforce in the company’s history,' surpassing the 27,000 cuts of 2022–23. The decision shocks Seattle and ripples through the tech sector." Tomi Kilgore (MARKETWATCH) adds of UPS, "The company disclosed that through September, it had reduced its workforce by 34,000 employees, which represented 6.9% of the approximately 490,000 employees it had at the end of 2024. UPS also closed 93 leased and owned buildings this year. The company had said it planned to cut 20,000 jobs and close dozens of buildings this year." Because of another one of Chump's tantrums, we no longer have the jobs report from the Labor Dept. We do have the ADP National Employment Report which isn't as exhaustive but REUTERS reports, "ADP's employment report showed private payrolls decreased by 32,000 jobs in September."

Matthias Binder (24/7 FOOD RECIPES) looks at increased prices and points out, "CPI data shows that jewelry and watches have risen 5.5% in price, while coffee - one of the nation's most imported goods - jumped nearly 10%. The U.S. produces less than 1% of its own coffee, making it especially vulnerable to tariffs on key suppliers like Brazil and Switzerland. Even traditionally stable goods like bananas have seen price increases. Banana prices jumped 4.9% between April and August. Because almost all bananas in the U.S. market come from Central and South America, import tariffs have made an impact on one of America's most common grocery staples."

Joe Biden had put the economy into recovery -- our economy was the envy of the world. And in less than 12 months, Donald Chump has destroyed it.

People are hurting across America because of Chump.

Go read Ava and C.I.'s "Media: They fail to note the pattern of ICE lies but make time to defend this year's John Fetterman" and I'm going to go stream IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN on APPLE+.

Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Chump's war on immigrants continue to terrorize everyone including children, his destruction of the US economy continues, some Democrats and 'Democrats" rally behind racist, sexist, Nazi-tattooed Graham Platner, and much more.

The US economy suffers and Chump's tantrum last week has resulted in predictions that EV vehicles will be selling better in Canada than the US. This all results from Chump's tantrum. The editorial board of THE ALBANY TIMES UNION notes:

In the wake of a TV ad released by the province of Ontario that utilized excerpts of a speech from President Ronald Reagan denouncing tariffs, President Donald J. Trump's announced a decision to break off trade talks and impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian products.

In his continued attempt to destroy US auto, Chump made a little sales pitch in Japan to US troops. Harry Thompson (DAILY BEAST) explains:

President Donald Trump has told a hangar full of American military personnel to go and buy Japanese cars. The president was speaking aboard the USS George Washington, docked at the Yokosuka naval base on Tuesday. “They’re going to be putting auto plants all over the United States to the tune of $10 billion,” Trump said, wearing a white USA baseball cap. “So that’s Toyota, so go out and buy a Toyota.”

Rhian Lubin (INDEPENDENT) adds, "Japan exported over 1.37 million vehicles to the U.S. last year, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, and cars are the country’s top export to America. On the flip side, American cars have proved a tough sell in Japan, which imported fewer than 17,000 American cars last year, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association."

And, again, Chump's tantrum from last week. Brad Anderson (CAR SCOOPS) reports the latest:

After Stellantis and GM scaled back production in Canada, the federal government has decided to limit how many tariff-free vehicles they can import into the country.

This is bad news for the Detroit automakers and has already prompted warnings from both of them, along with Ford, that reduced investment could follow, potentially denting Canada’s manufacturing base.

Samuel Joseph (FODMAP) notes that Detroit is one of the 14 cities expected to be heaviest hit by Chump's tariffs:

As the historic center of the U.S. automotive industry, Detroit is profoundly exposed to tariffs on imported steel, aluminum, and auto parts. Any increase in the cost of these components forces car manufacturers to raise prices or slow production.

Detroit is also highly dependent on trade with Canada, which has historically been a key export market for U.S.-made vehicles and parts. Retaliatory tariffs from Canada would directly cut into the demand for goods produced in the “Motor City,” impacting thousands of manufacturing jobs.

And, of course, Chump has betrayed American cattle ranchers. Lindsey Granger (THE HILL) observes:

For years, Donald Trump built his brand on an “America First” trade agenda: protecting U.S. workers, punishing foreign competitors, and pulling supply chains back home.

That was the promise. But now, in a scramble to drive down grocery prices, his administration is turning to Argentina for beef — quadrupling imports to 80,000 metric tons. That’s not “America First.” That’s foreign beef before American ranchers.

Trump has spent the last month railing about grocery prices and pledging relief at the checkout aisle, promising “a deal” to “bring the price down.” The short-term fix he’s landed on is foreign supply, even if it runs directly against the platform that got him elected. Ranchers, who benefited from high demand and elevated beef prices, are watching their own president undercut them to bail out another country’s economy.

And the timing isn’t subtle. POLITICO reports the average price of ground beef is $6.32 a pound, up about 14 percent since Trump took office, and meat is still one of the biggest drivers of overall grocery inflation.

Per last night's panel discussion on THE 11TH HOUR WITH STEPHANIE RUHLE, elected Republicans let Vice President JD Vnce have it yesterday regarding what's happening to cattle ranchers and how this needs to be addressed immediately.

Beef's not the only meat with a soaring price. At DELISH, Megan Schaltegger wants to talk turkey:

Wholesale turkey prices are predicted to hit $1.32 per pound this year.

That figure is a 40% spike from 2024's average, driven by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks.

Experts say that retailers will still prioritize meal bundles and turkey deals.

The crispy October days flew by, Halloween is basically here, and we'll be quarreling with relatives around the Thanksgiving table before we know it! It's just about time to plan the menu—and your most controversial dinner-table topics.

While riling up Uncle Joe might be second nature, shopping for the big holiday family dinner may not be as easy—at least on your wallet. A new U.S. Department of Agriculture report predicts wholesale prices for frozen turkeys will jump to $1.32 per pound this year—a 40% spike over 2024's average.

And it won't just be more expensive—it may be harder to snag a turkey. too. According to the USDA report, the price spike is a direct result of lower supply: a surge of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (a severe bird flu) outbreaks in late 2024 and early 2025 majorly affected flocks (and also led to the egg shortages and price spikes). In fact, farmers reportedly raised 5 million fewer turkeys in 2025 than the year prior, and 50 million fewer than in 2016.

Now the good news: budget-friendly retailers are still offering their typical Thanksgiving meal bundles. "Retailers typically use turkeys as a loss leader," David Ortega, professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University, told CBS News. "That is, they price them very competitively—sometimes even below cost—to draw shoppers into stores ahead of Thanksgiving."

Chump's an economic hit man. He certainly assassinated the US economy. Which is why Lucia Mutikani (REUTERS) reports, "U.S. consumer confidence eased to a six-month low in October amid worries about the availability of jobs in the near-term, offering more ammunition for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again on Wednesday."

"Media: They fail to note the pattern of ICE lies but make time to defend this year's John Fetterman" went up last night and Ava and I are covering a number of items. But for this right now, I want to zoom in on the push behind the appalling Graham Platner. Jen Psaki brought him on to her show last night to let him defend himself. Why?

Per BALLOTPEDIA, these are the people currently running for the Dem nomination for US senator from Maine (Republican Susan Collins currently holds the spot):

Submit photo	Natasha Alcala (D)
		David Costello (D)
	Submit photo	David Evans (D)
		Tucker Favreau (D)
	Submit photo	Andrea LaFlamme (D)
		Janet T. Mills (D)
		Graham Platner (D)
	Submit photo	Daira Rodriguez (D)
		Jordan Wood (D)

Jordan Wood would be a good guest for Jen if she could get away from trying to save Graham. Janet? Janet's the governor and the whole nation knows she can stand up to Donald Chump. It's not as though Maine has nothing but Platner to go for.

His comments, his lies, his everything should have gotten real pushback long ago. Instead, they want to waste our time and your time trying to 'save' the new John Fetterman. Bernie endorsed him!!!! Yeah, old man Sanders -- a man who forces campaign staffers to sign NDAs when the racism gets too much in his campaign office -- did endorse Platner. He also endorsed Fetterman. And he endorsed TYT's Cenk. I'm never impressed with any of the White men Bernie Sanders endorses, nor should you be.

They would rather -- behind the scene operators -- give the nomination to Platner instead of (a) someone worthy and (b) someone who is not going to be destroyed by his Republican opponent.

And that's what would happen with the liar Platner. The Branko Marcetics and the whores at COMMON DREAMS will have no influence over the Republican candidate. They've spent weeks covering up for and lying for Platner and hissing and smearing those who have raised serious issues with regards to what this-never-elected to anything man with a Nazi tattoo has been saying online for years.

In fact, Branko published a column (at JACOBIN) on Monday defending Platner. 3229 words. He needed 3229 words to defend Platner. That's your first clue that he's not your best candidate to rally behind. The only real truth I spotted in the column was in the headline "You’re Being Lied to About Graham Platner" and, if Branko's confessing, it is true -- Branko is lying to you about Graham Platner. (Including the lie that he read all of the social media posts Platner's done -- he clearly missed the deleted ones that CNN found). He's a racist, homophobic, sexist, rape denier who, yes, served in the US military but, more to the point, also was part of the Blackwater mercenaries long after Blackwater had to repeatedly change their name to try to escape the stigma of their many outrageous actions which did include getting US service members killed as well as Iraqi civilians as well as . . . Oh, Branko, it's so much more than just Platner's Nazi tattoo.

Turning to Chump's immigration war, Josh Marcus (INDEPENDENT) reports:

Two members of the Illinois National Guard say they will refuse orders to carry out the Trump administration’s long-stated goal of sending federal troops into Chicago.

“It's disheartening to be forced to go against your community members and your neighbors," Staff Sergeant Demi Palecek, a state legislative candidate, told CBS News. "It feels illegal. This is not what we signed up to do."

Captain Dylan Blaha, a congressional candidate in the state, had similar reservations, accusing the Trump administration of “actively dismantling our rights — free speech, due process, freedom of the press.”

"Look at 1930s, 1940s Germany," Blaha added in an interview with the broadcaster. "There is a point where if you didn't stand up to the [Nazi secret police] Gestapo, are you just actively one of them now?"

The Guard members could face a court martial, imprisonment, or a discharge if they refuse a lawful order.

Why would they take such a stand? Because Chump's war is terrorizing civilians and ICE is breaking the laws. Alex Woodward (INDEPENDENT) notes:

The border patrol chief commanding dozens of federal agents in Chicago has been ordered to appear in court every day after he and his officers faced a wave of allegations that they violently detained protesters and indiscriminately fired tear gas into neighborhoods.

Greg Bovino, the top Customs and Border Protection official for Donald Trump’s mass deportation operation in Illinois, was ordered to testify in federal court Tuesday after protesters suing the administration accused Bovino and agents of repeatedly gassing residents in violation of a judge’s restraining order.

In court filings, protesters accused agents of shooting chemical agents at close range and pointing a gun at one demonstrator while saying “bang, bang” and “you’re dead, liberal.”

Protesters also allege masked agents tossed tear gas canisters while hanging out the window from the passenger seat of an unmarked SUV and “unleashed violence” the morning before a Halloween parade in a Chicago suburb, where agents allegedly tackled three people, including a 67-year-old U.S. citizen, before filling the streets with tear gas.

“That was the instance, as well, where children were present and they were dressed up in their Halloween costumes,” Illinois District Judge Sara Ellis said Tuesday.

“Those kids were tear gassed on their way to celebrate Halloween in their local school parking lot,” she said. “These kids, you can imagine, their sense of safety was shattered ... and it’s gonna take a long time for that to come back, if ever.”

Tear gassing children. That's what is' come to now in Chumpland as a Convicted Felon destroys our great nation and puts thugs on the street to terrorize. Rebecca Schneid (TIME) reports:

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the architect of some of President Donald Trump’s harshest immigration policies, has claimed that federal agents carrying out arrests and deportations are immune from prosecution.

In a recent interview on Fox News, Miller hit out at opposition to the Trump Administration’s plans to carry out the largest mass deportation in United States history, accusing Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker of “seditious conspiracy” for his attempts to block those efforts and threatening his arrest.

Miller also announced in a message to agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency: “You have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties. And anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop or obstruct you is committing a felony.”

ICE and Border Patrol agents have been the tip of the spear for Trump’s hardline deportation agenda, deploying to cities around the country to conduct arrests and raids of anyone in the country illegally.

No, idiot, it doesn't work that way. If it did, crooked cops, crooked FBI agents, crooked anything could just breaking the law. It doesn't work that way and only a depraved soul like Stephen Miller would think otherwise. Kathryn Rubino (ABOVE HE LAW) writes:

Last we checked in with U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis, she didn’t seem pleased with U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino. Bovino heads the Trump administration’s military presence in Chicago, Operation Midway Blitz, and there were some pretty serious allegations (and video!) that federal agents — and Bovino specifically — violated a temporary restraining order issued by Ellis.

A group of journalists, protesters, and clergy sued the Trump administration over the military occupation of Chicago, and Ellis issued a TRO limiting the tactics federal agents can use. Amongst the banned methods of riot control include the use of tear gas and other kinds of noxious gas unless there is an immediate safety threat. But over the weekend, Bovino was caught on camera throwing canisters of tear gas into a crowd without any warnings or verbal orders to disperse. It sure isn’t a good look.

So the judge hauled Bovino into court today to impress upon him the seriousness of the TRO and what sorts of actions are off limits. Specifically, Judge Ellis is deeply concerned that Border Patrol’s actions in using tear gas without appropriate warnings actually impacted innocents, specifically kids dressed in Halloween costumes, headed to a parade.

And that is why people have to stand up to Chump's illegal war and illegal actions. AP covers a typical Chicago day now that ICE terrorizes the city:

“Mommy, mommy, mommy,” he repeated, clinging to her.

His mother, Molly Kucich, had been grocery shopping when her husband called, panicking. She heard “immigration raid.” Then: “tear gas.”

She abandoned her grocery cart and drove as fast as she could to her toddler and his 14-month-old brother, who, on that warm October Friday, were among the hundreds of Chicago children caught suddenly in the turmoil of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Parents, teachers and caregivers have been grappling ever since with how to explain to children what they’d seen: how much to tell them so they know enough to stay safe, but not too much to rob them of their childhood. A toddler shouldn’t know what a tear gas canister is, Kucich said.

“I don’t know how to explain this to my kids.”

We've covered the low standards set for ICE recruits. The whole country is appalled. A new development? Alex Reimer (QUEERITY) reports:

Like millions of Americans, Josh Sorbe is outraged over the egregious conduct of ICE agents.

So the D.C. resident and politico decided to let out his frustrations in the gym, and prove a point along the way.

The Atlantic recently published a story about the wannabe Gestapo-like agency’s “athletically allergic” recruits, who can’t pass a simple fitness test. Before receiving their badges–which many don’t wear as they seize community fixtures and even U.S. citizens from city streets–new recruits must do 15 push-ups, 32 sit-ups and run 1.5 miles in 14 minutes.

For members of law enforcement, the standards aren’t supposed to be demanding. Previously, only a smattering of applicants couldn’t pass.

[. . .]

With bare minimum requirements–pass an open-book test, don’t be a criminal–the majority of American adults have the heft to be ICE agents. But there appears to be a selection bias at play: people with actual skills can find more meaningful work than rounding up tamale vendors and day laborers.

That includes Sorbe, who works as a spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Democrats. A former college athlete, the South Dakota native would run laps around most ICE recruits.

Literally. To close a recent workout, Sorbe decided to try the vaunted fitness challenge.

He passed in 12 minutes.

But some new ICE agents struggled to make it through. And still became ICE agents.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Murray: “People across America—across party lines, across economic backgrounds, and across nearly every divide imaginable—are now speaking out… The time has come to hold President Trump accountable for raising prices on families across the board.”

Current effective tariff rate is 18 percent—the highest since 1934; Trump’s tariffs could push nearly one million Americans below the poverty line next year

Trump’s tariffs will cost WA state nearly 32,000 jobs; $2.2 billion in revenue over the next four years if fully implemented

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s full floor speech***

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of upcoming Senate votes on three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to end the vast majority of the tariffs President Trump has arbitrarily imposed, which are costing American families thousands of dollars and crushing small businesses across the country.

Tonight, the Senate will vote on S.J.Res.81, which would cancel Trump’s 40 percent tariffs on Brazil by terminating the emergency declaration that provides the legal basis for the tariffs. Later this week, the Senate will vote on two more Joint Resolutions of Disapproval that would similarly revoke Trump’s tariffs by canceling the emergency declarations that underpin them: S.J.Res.77, which would end Trump’s 35 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, and S.J.Res.88, which would terminate Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on nearly all countries—which include 10 percent tariffs on imports from nearly all countries and tariffs of up to 40 percent on more than 60 countries.

On the Senate floor, Senator Murray hammered Republicans in Congress for their outright refusal to put an end to Trump’s pointless trade war and price hikes on American families, and their willingness to hand over Congress’ constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs.

“President Trump has single-handedly raised taxes more than any President in my lifetime. He has, without any consultation or approval from Congress, imposed billions of dollars in new tariffs,” Senator Murray said. “These are taxes paid for by the American people. They hurt small business owners who need raw materials that just aren’t available here in the United States. They cut off crucial export markets for our farmers when other nations inevitably retaliate. And they are sending prices soaring across the board, from big things like cars, to everyday essentials like groceries. Trump’s tariffs have already raised retail prices for families by 5 percent, and this year alone, his tariffs are expected to cost American households an average of $1,800. That is staggering. Still, nearly every single Senate Republican has refused to vote with us to end this chaos… People across America—across party lines, across economic backgrounds, and across nearly every divide imaginable—are now speaking out. The time has come for Republicans to actually listen. The time has come to hold President Trump accountable for raising prices on families across the board. The time has come to end President Trump’s new taxes on everything.”

After the government of Ontario, Canada ran a TV commercial featuring a speech by President Ronald Reagan denouncing tariffs Saturday night during the World Series, President Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports and said that he was halting ongoing trade talks launched earlier this month.

Right now, the effective tariff rate in the U.S. is 18 percent, the highest tariff rate since 1934. Trump’s tariffs have already raised retail prices for families by 5 percent, and this year alone, Trump’s tariffs are expected to cost American households an additional $1,800 on average. A recent analysis from Yale Budget Lab found that Trump’s tariffs will likely increase the number of Americans living in poverty by 875,000 in 2026. Last month, a nonpartisan analysis by the Washington State Office of Financial Management found that if the current Trump tariffs stay in effect for the next four years, they will cost Washington state up to 25,000 jobs—and if Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs are fully implemented, they would cost Washington state $2.2 billion and 31,900 jobs over the next four years and significantly drive up the cost of food, clothing, cars, and much more.

Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs in the state tied to international commerce. In 2024, Washington exported $57.8 billion of goods to the world, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), making Washington state the 9^th-largest state exporter of goods last year. Washington state is also the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada.

Senator Murray has been vocal in responding to Trump’s trade war, holding events in every part of Washington state, and hammering the Trump administration for driving up the cost of just about everything through their chaotic and thoughtless trade policies. When Trump first announced new tariffs, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state to discuss how Trump’s trade war threatens Washington state’s economy, and spoke out on the Senate floor against Trump’s chaotic trade war, calling on Republicans in Congress to join Democrats in reasserting Congress’s power over trade. She has held several events across Washington state to hear directly from constituents and small business owners about how Trump’s tariffs are harming them—including in Tacoma, Yakima, Vancouver, Seattle, Skagit County, and Blaine, just across the border from Canada. On August 1^st, as Trump hiked “reciprocal” tariffs on some of our closest trading partners, Senator Murray held another virtual press conference with Washington state businesses to sound the alarm. She held another roundtable with small business owners in Vancouver in September, and last week, Senator Murray slammed Trump for the new port fees hitting ships at West Coast Ports as a result of Trump’s trade war with China.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“President Trump has single-handedly raised taxes more than any President in my lifetime. He has, without any consultation or approval from Congress, imposed billions of dollars in new tariffs.

“These are taxes paid for by the American people. They hurt small business owners who need raw materials that just aren’t available here in the United States. They cut off crucial export markets for our farmers when other nations inevitably retaliate. And they are sending prices soaring across the board, from big things like cars, to everyday essentials like groceries.

“Trump’s tariffs have already raised retail prices for families by 5 percent, and this year alone, his tariffs are expected to cost American households an average of $1,800. That is staggering. Still, nearly every single Senate Republican has refused to vote with us to end this chaos.

“I’ll say it another way: Republicans are refusing to stop President Trump from raising taxes on working families.

“Now, we all saw Republicans move heaven and earth this year to shovel more tax breaks at billionaires. But when it comes to taxes on working families, well, they are downright eager to force families to pay more every time they go to the supermarket.

“I am not going to let this get swept under the rug. Especially not when Trump shows us every day that his tariffs are not about any sort of economic strategy, or any real ‘emergency.’

“Trump’s tariff policy is as strategic as a toddler who plays with a light switch.

“Last week, we saw Trump raise taxes on Americans because he was mad that Canada ran an ad quoting Ronald Reagan. That’s about as ridiculous as it gets.

“My state shares a border with Canada. There are countless families, and businesses that span our northern border. People who have built businesses that rely on strong trade relationships, from farmers who send their crops up north, to shops that bring in products, to towns that serve tourists and visitors that come down from our neighbors.

“And these Washington business owners are all having their livelihoods completely turned upside on a whim by President Trump.

“And again, let’s be clear: all Canada did to unleash more blind fury and boneheaded tariffs from President Trump was quote President Ronald Reagan.

“Now, for all the policies I disagree with, Reagan at least had enough sense to understand that we, the American people, are the ones who pay those tariffs.

“For my colleagues, these are the words Donald Trump doesn’t want you to hear. This is what Reagan had to say about tariffs—verbatim: ‘Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.’ ‘Then the worst happens: markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.’

“But you know what? If Republicans don’t want to listen to Reagan this time—well, then how about they start listening to American families, farmers, and small businesses back in their own home states.

“Because, as someone who has had countless discussions about tariffs with the people I represent back home, I have no doubt that Republicans’ own constituents will tell them firsthand just how painful Trump’s trade war has been for them.

“I have heard from business across my home state of Washington who are getting crushed by Trump’s tariffs. An Asian grocery store that sells goods you simply have to source from abroad, like green tea. Coffee shops that are getting hit, since most of our country can’t even grow coffee beans. Clothing stores that tell me they are struggling with higher prices for cotton canvas, zippers, threads, and buckles.

“And then there are farmers, across my state and across the country, that are getting boxed out of key markets by the trade wars Trump is starting left and right for no reason.

“And there the jobs at our ports that are threatened as every new chaotic tariff Trump decides to tweet out whittles away at imports and exports alike, grinds our bustling ports to an absolute standstill, and puts thousands of jobs in jeopardy.

“Foreign imports are down by a third at the Port of Seattle and Tacoma. The reality of Trump’s tariffs is painfully obvious to families and business owners who are bearing the brunt of this ham-fisted trade war.

“You can’t just ‘make it in America’ when the ‘it’ in question is fruits and vegetables we cannot grow at scale here in the U.S. You can’t just ‘make it in America’ when even making something here requires parts and raw materials from across the globe.

“There are just higher prices for working families, tighter margins for our struggling businesses, and even more worry for families and businesses being pushed to the edge. Families are feeling those price hikes every single day. Small businesses in my state and across the country are facing difficult decisions, and deciding whether they can afford to keep their doors open, right now.

“People across America—across party lines, across economic backgrounds, and across nearly every divide imaginable—are now speaking out. The time has come for Republicans to actually listen.

“The time has come to hold President Trump accountable for raising prices on families across the board.

“The time has come to end President Trump’s new taxes on everything.

“The time has come for Congress, us, to start asserting our authority on tariffs, instead of ceding every single part of our job to a President who has already joked he is the Speaker of the House.

“Is he going to start calling himself the Majority Leader too?

“I urge all of my colleagues: join me in voting for this resolution so we can start rolling back Trump’s taxes on Americans, and take some pressure off our families and small businesses in the states we are all here to represent.”