Johnson Escalates Pressure on Schumer, Keeping House Out of Session as Shutdown Hits Record Length
House Speaker Mike Johnson has prolonged the ongoing government shutdown into its sixth week by keeping the House out of session, marking it as the second-longest in U.S. history and on pace to exceed the 2018-2019 record of nearly 35 days, amid stalled negotiations over a Republican-backed continuing resolution rejected 13 times by Senate Democrats under Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The House-passed measure would extend funding for seven weeks at current levels, including $88 million for bipartisan security enhancements, but Democrats insist on attaching an extension of enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies, including funding for illegal immigrant healthcare expiring by year’s end, a provision Republicans have declined to include in the short-term bill while expressing willingness for separate healthcare talks. As federal funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are projected to exhaust this weekend, potentially disrupting benefits for 42 million recipients, alongside risks to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and Head Start services despite administrative reallocations, Johnson has instructed GOP members to engage constituents on the impasse’s effects, maintaining that legislative work cannot resume until Democrats approve the clean funding extension. While most House Republicans back the strategy, voices like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin Kiley, and Dan Crenshaw have raised internal concerns during closed calls, with Crenshaw noting the approach’s mounting costs outweigh benefits, as the standoff continues to imperil essential public services nationwide.
Sources: The Washington Times, FOX News
GOP Net Favorability Climbs Amid Government Shutdown, CNN Data Shows
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten reported that the Republican Party’s net favorability has increased by two points during the ongoing government shutdown, with congressional Republicans seeing a five-point rise in net approval ratings since before the impasse began, according to polling averages from AP-NORC and Quinnipiac. This unexpected uptick extends beyond the GOP base, where approval surged by 12 points, to independents, who registered an eight-point gain, suggesting a broadening of support despite Republicans’ control of both the House and Senate. Enten noted that the data defies historical patterns where the party in power typically suffers during shutdowns, and he highlighted Democrats’ position on the generic congressional ballot as only a three-point lead—the weakest for the opposition party at this midterm stage under a Republican president in two decades. Polls on blame attribution remain divided, with some surveys like CBS News assigning slightly more responsibility to Republicans and President Trump, while others from Politico indicate an even split across parties and the White House, as the shutdown enters its fourth week with no resolution in sight.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, The Daily Caller
Trump Urges GOP to Deploy ‘The Nuclear Option’ as Shutdown Nears Historic Length
The U.S. government shutdown entered its 34th day on October 31st, approaching the record set during the 2018-2019 impasse, with federal agencies closed, over 800,000 workers furloughed or unpaid, and disruptions rippling through air travel, national parks, and food assistance programs as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits face suspension starting November 1st. President Trump, returning from an Asia trip, issued a pointed call on social media for Senate Republicans to invoke the “nuclear option” by eliminating the filibuster—described by the president as their ultimate “Trump card”—to secure passage of a clean continuing resolution with a simple majority and reopen operations without Democrat demands for extending Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring at year’s end. Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejected the proposal, reaffirming the filibuster’s role in Senate deliberations and prioritizing bipartisan weekend talks ahead of next week’s off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey, while House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed the urgency of resolution but deferred to senators on procedural changes. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, conditioned support on addressing health care extensions to include healthcare funding for illegal immigrants and other fiscal priorities, with a bipartisan group exploring paired votes on funding and subsidies, though no breakthrough emerged as the Senate adjourned until Monday.
Federal Judge Orders USDA to Disburse SNAP Benefits Amid Government Shutdown
A federal judge in Boston ruled on October 31st that the U.S. Department of Agriculture must utilize contingency funds to ensure the continuation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November, countering the agency’s plan to suspend payments due to the ongoing government shutdown now in its 31st day; the decision, stemming from a lawsuit filed by attorneys general and governors from 25 Democrat-led states and the District of Columbia, holds that federal law mandates the use of the approximately $5 billion emergency reserve to prevent a lapse in aid for the 42 million low-income Americans who depend on the program at a monthly cost exceeding $8 billion, even if only partial disbursements prove feasible given the shortfall, while a separate ruling from a Rhode Island federal judge reinforced the obligation for timely distribution starting November 1st, underscoring congressional intent that SNAP operations persist during funding lapses to safeguard public health and avert widespread food insecurity.
Sources: The Epoch Times, CBS News
FBI Thwarts Potential Halloween Terror Plot with Arrests in Michigan
The FBI announced on October 31st, that it had successfully disrupted a potential terrorist attack planned for Halloween weekend in Michigan, leading to the arrest of multiple individuals aged 16 to 20 in the cities of Dearborn and Inkster, with federal agents conducting searches at a local residence. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the operation, involving coordination with Michigan State Police and local authorities, prevented what could have been a violent act tied to international terrorism, possibly inspired by ISIS through online discussions, though no concrete plan had fully materialized. Patel commended the swift response of FBI agents and partners for ensuring public safety and allowing Michiganders to observe the holiday without incident, while Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer expressed gratitude for the briefing and the protective measures taken. This incident follows a separate ISIS-related arrest in May 2025 involving a former Michigan Army National Guard member accused of plotting an attack on a U.S. military site in the Detroit area.
FBI Leadership Resists Expansion of DNI Authority Amid Intelligence Community Tensions
In a pointed letter to Congress last week, FBI Director Kash Patel expressed strong opposition to a House proposal within the 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act that would transfer oversight of counterintelligence operations from the FBI to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, led by Tulsi Gabbard, thereby centralizing authority under the DNI to address past institutional issues such as those seen in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. This legislative push, aimed at preventing future abuses through enhanced cross-agency accountability, has surfaced a rift among national security officials, with the FBI citing concerns over jurisdictional integrity and prosecutorial impacts. The dispute gained further visibility through the National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent’s review of the FBI’s case file on Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the assassination attempt against conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to probe potential foreign intelligence involvement—a move that drew internal pushback from Patel’s office. Gabbard has emphasized reforms to trace the origins of prior FBI weaponization and ensure such misconduct does not recur, while Patel seeks to preserve the bureau’s operational independence amid ongoing congressional negotiations over the bill’s final form.
Sources: The Daily Mail, The Conservative Treehouse
DOJ Probes Donor Fraud in Black Lives Matter Amid 2020 Fundraising Surge
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether leaders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation defrauded donors of tens of millions of dollars raised during the 2020 racial justice protests following George Floyd’s death, with federal authorities issuing subpoenas and executing at least one search warrant in recent weeks targeting the group’s financial practices. The probe, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California under prosecutor Bill Essayli, examines the handling of over $90 million in contributions, including scrutiny over a $6 million Los Angeles property purchase that drew earlier criticism and prompted co-founder Patrisse Cullors to resign. While the foundation maintains it is not a target of any criminal inquiry and emphasizes its commitment to transparency and accountability in supporting Black communities, the effort builds on prior state-level examinations, such as Indiana’s 2022 lawsuit that ended without charges after document submission, amid longstanding questions about fund allocation to affiliates and operational expenses. As of June 2024, the organization reported $28 million in assets per federal tax filings, with no charges filed to date in the ongoing federal review.
Sources: The New York Post, The Washington Examiner
Cuomo Gains Late Endorsements, Narrows Poll Gap in Final Days of NYC Mayoral Bid
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent in the New York City mayoral race, has secured a series of endorsements from moderate Democrats, Republicans, and community leaders in the campaign’s closing stretch, while recent polls show him closing the gap on Democrat nominee Zohran Mamdani ahead of Tuesday’s election. Key backers include former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who reaffirmed his support citing Cuomo’s experience and toughness to tackle the city’s challenges; Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Long Island who endorsed Cuomo as a counter to socialism; former Gov. David Paterson; incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who pledged to mobilize Black and brown communities; and Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick Langworthy, both Republicans viewing Cuomo as the stronger alternative to Mamdani’s inexperience. Additional nods came from Muslim and African community figures such as Imam Souleimane Konate and members of the African Leaders Coalition during a Thursday event in Harlem. Polling reflects the momentum: A Suffolk University survey places Mamdani at 46% to Cuomo’s 33%, a 10-point margin down from 20 points in September, while Quinnipiac shows a similar 10-point lead after Cuomo’s 10-point surge post-Adams endorsement, with Republican Curtis Sliwa at 14-15%. Cuomo has emphasized high early voter turnout among those over 50 and warned of Mamdani’s “wholly inexperienced” policies, including rent freezes and city-run groceries, as the race tightens with over 370,000 ballots already cast.
Sources: The New York Sun, The Daily Wire
Ohio Redistricting Commission Unanimously Approves New Congressional Map Favoring Republicans
Ohio’s bipartisan redistricting commission unanimously approved a new congressional map on Friday, October 31st, granting Republicans a potential advantage in securing 12 of the state’s 15 U.S. House seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, despite vocal opposition from onlookers who jeered and accused lawmakers of betraying public trust during the proceedings. The map, which alters districts held by Democrat Representatives Greg Landsman and Marcy Kaptur to make them more competitive for the GOP while preserving two Democrat strongholds, emerged from closed-door negotiations that averted a more aggressive Republican proposal of 13-2 control, which could have faced a voter referendum; Democrat leaders on the commission, including Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, described the outcome as preventing a worse scenario, though advocacy groups like the League of Women Voters and Common Cause Ohio decried the process for lacking transparency and compactness, with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder labeling it an “imperfect map” layered atop prior gerrymanders. This development aligns with broader national efforts in states like Texas and North Carolina to redraw lines, as required by Ohio’s constitution following the 2020 census due to the prior map’s lack of bipartisan support.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, Reuters
Maryland Democrat Senator Indicted in Federal Extortion Scheme Involving Secret Bedroom Recordings
A federal grand jury in Maryland indicted State Senator Dalya Attar, a Democrat from Baltimore City, along with her brother Joseph Attar and Baltimore Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein, on eight counts including conspiracy, extortion through interstate communications, illegal wiretapping, and violations of the Travel Act, according to court documents unsealed on October 30th. The charges stem from an alleged multi-year plot beginning in 2019, in which the defendants purportedly installed hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors in an apartment and a GPS tracker on a vehicle to secretly record a former political consultant— who had worked on Attar’s 2018 campaign but later became a critic over disagreements—and a married man in an intimate encounter, with the footage intended to pressure the consultant into silence regarding Attar’s voting record ahead of the 2020 and 2022 elections. Prosecutors claim that starting in March 2021, Joseph Attar threatened to distribute the recordings to the victims’ families, rabbis in their Orthodox Jewish community, and others unless the consultant refrained from public criticism, including efforts to disrupt matchmaking for her daughter; communications via encrypted WhatsApp messages, which were routinely deleted, further detailed the scheme, with Attar reportedly stating in November 2021 that the video “would be really helpful now” during her re-election bid. Attar, 35, the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the Maryland Senate after her January 2025 appointment to fill a vacancy, has denied the allegations through her attorney, describing them as originating from a “mentally unstable, vindictive” former employee and asserting no tangible evidence exists, while the Maryland Senate President’s office noted it was unaware of the arrest and reiterated commitment to ethical standards. All three defendants remain in federal custody, with Finkelstein’s police powers suspended since 2022.
Sources: The Daily Mail, The Baltimore Sun
Massachusetts Governor’s Aide Fired After Cocaine Seizure at State Office
Massachusetts authorities arrested LaMar Cook, 45, of Springfield, the deputy director of Governor Maura Healey’s Western Massachusetts office, on charges of trafficking over 200 grams of cocaine, along with unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, and driving without a license, following a multi-agency investigation that uncovered 21 kilograms of the drug in intercepted packages. The probe began on October 10th, when state police seized approximately 13 kilograms of suspected cocaine from two suspicious parcels addressed to Hotel UMass in Amherst, where Cook previously served as director from 2016 to 2023; it escalated on October 26th when an additional eight kilograms were intercepted during a controlled delivery to the Springfield State Office Building at 436 Dwight Street, where an undercover trooper posed as a delivery worker and observed Cook awaiting the package. Cook, who earned $115,668 annually and had been appointed to his role in April 2023 after community involvement including co-founding a back-to-school initiative and unsuccessful runs for local office, was detained that evening in his vehicle, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on October 29th, and was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing, with a $25,000 bond set for the firearm charge. Healey’s office terminated Cook effective immediately, describing the alleged actions as a major breach of public trust, and affirmed full cooperation with ongoing investigations by the Hampden County District Attorney and Massachusetts State Police, which may yield further charges related to the earlier UMass shipment.
Sources: CBS News, WAMC Radio
Mississippi Law Enforcement Agencies Caught in Federal Drug Trafficking Sting
Federal authorities on October 30th, announced indictments against 20 individuals, including 14 current and former law enforcement officers across Mississippi’s Delta region and Tennessee, for allegedly accepting bribes to facilitate drug shipments in a yearslong FBI sting operation. The investigation, initiated after complaints from arrested drug dealers about kickbacks, involved undercover agents posing as members of a Mexican cartel, with officers providing armed escorts for what they believed were 25 kilograms of cocaine destined for Memphis and Miami, as well as protection for narcotics proceeds. Among those charged were two elected sheriffs—Washington County’s Milton Gaston, who allegedly disguised bribes as campaign contributions, and Humphreys County’s Bruce Williams, who received multiple payments for operational approval—along with figures such as Sunflower County Chief Deputy Marvin Flowers and officers from agencies including the Hollandale Police Department, Yazoo City Police Department, and Mississippi Department of Corrections. Bribes ranged up to tens of thousands of dollars, and 19 defendants also face federal firearms charges related to the conspiracy; all were granted bond pending trials. Officials noted this case continues a pattern of federal probes into Mississippi law enforcement misconduct in recent years.
Sources: News Nation Now, FOX13 Memphis
LAFD Firefighters Warned of Smoldering Risks Before Palisades Blaze Reignited
Newly disclosed text messages from Los Angeles Fire Department personnel reveal that firefighters on January 2nd, 2025, alerted a battalion chief to persistent smoldering and hot rocks at the site of the 8-acre Lachman Fire in Pacific Palisades, which had ignited the previous day from arson by Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht and was declared contained shortly after; despite these concerns—one firefighter texting it was a “bad idea” to depart without further checks—the team was ordered to abandon the burn area, allowing underground embers to linger until Santa Ana winds revived them on January 7th, exploding into the Palisades Fire that scorched thousands of acres, claimed 12 lives, and razed or damaged over 6,000 structures across Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu amid drought conditions and fierce gusts; the disaster prompted mass evacuations, school closures, and federal aid, while Mayor Karen Bass dismissed Fire Chief Kristin Crowley in February for leadership lapses in wildfire protocols, though officials insisted the initial blaze appeared fully extinguished.
DON’T MISS THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMMENTARY:
Obamacare: A Marxist-Progressive Scam
That Enriched Cronies & Impoverished Patients
The original sales pitch was based on two bald-faced lies: premiums would fall by $2,500 per family, and “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” Both exploded on contact with reality. The average family premium has nearly tripled since 2013, from $5,800 to $16,400, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Deductibles now routinely exceed $8,000—money patients must spend before the “insurance” kicks in, rendering the policy a catastrophic coupon at best. Networks shrank as insurers fled unprofitable markets; the promise of keeping your doctor morphed into keeping whichever overworked stranger is on call at the in-network clinic—if you can get an appointment before next year…
Read and listen to more at UndergroundUSA.com
Dutch Elections End in Dead Heat: Wilders Ties for Lead as Leftist Chief Bows Out
The Netherlands’ snap parliamentary elections on October 29th, produced a razor-thin tie between Geert Wilders’ right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) and Rob Jetten’s centrist Democrats 66 (D66), each claiming 26 seats in the 150-seat lower house with 99.7 percent of votes tallied, marking the first such deadlock in Dutch electoral history. Wilders’ PVV, which had surged to 37 seats in 2023 before toppling the prior coalition over stalled immigration curbs, saw its support erode amid voter fatigue from governmental infighting, yet held firm for a joint first-place finish that leaves its leader demanding priority in coalition talks despite a persistent “cordon sanitaire” barring mainstream alliances. D66, rebounding from a mere nine seats two years prior, capitalized on an upbeat campaign stressing housing, education, and European integration to nearly triple its representation, positioning the 38-year-old Rob Jetten as a frontrunner to become the nation’s youngest prime minister. The left-wing Green-Left-Labour alliance, under former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, faltered to 20 seats—five fewer than projected—prompting his immediate resignation as leader in acknowledgment of the electorate’s rebuke; meanwhile, the New Social Contract party collapsed to zero seats from 20, funneling votes to the Christian Democratic Appeal, which climbed to 18. Coalition-building looms arduous without a majority, as parties eye a center-right or centrist pact amid pressing debates on migration, housing shortages, and fiscal strains.
Hamas’ Misuse of Hundreds of Millions in Aid Triggers Gaza Bank Insolvency
Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza since 2007, has diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid intended for civilian infrastructure and humanitarian needs toward building an extensive network of attack tunnels, procuring rockets, and funding military operations, directly contributing to the fiscal insolvency of Gaza’s banks as the October 10th, ceasefire took effect. Reports document that aid from Qatar, the United Nations, and other donors—totaling over $1 billion annually in recent years—was systematically rerouted by Hamas officials to prioritize weapons smuggling and tunnel construction beneath civilian areas, leaving public sector salaries unpaid for months and depleting the Palestinian Authority’s tax transfers that once sustained local banking liquidity. With Hamas enforcing a parallel economy through smuggling fees and extortion while blocking financial transparency, the territory’s banks reopened on October 16th without cash reserves, unable to process withdrawals or support basic commerce, a crisis rooted in the group’s misallocation of funds rather than solely external blockades.
Sources: The Times of Israel, The Straits Times
King Charles Formally Strips Prince Andrew of Royal Titles, Orders Surrender of Royal Lodge Lease
Buckingham Palace announced on October 30th, that King Charles III has initiated the formal removal of all styles, titles, and honors from his brother Prince Andrew, reducing him to the designation Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and eliminating his use of the “His Royal Highness” style, in response to persistent scrutiny over Andrew’s past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and related allegations, which Andrew continues to deny. The decision, endorsed by the wider royal family, including heir apparent Prince William, follows Andrew’s earlier relinquishment of the Duke of York title amid revelations from a posthumous memoir by accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 and detailed claims of sexual abuse during her teenage years, claims settled out of court in 2022 without admission of liability. Concurrently, formal notice has been served to Andrew to surrender his 75-year lease on the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor Great Park, where he has resided since 2003 under a “peppercorn” rental arrangement after an initial £8 million payment for renovations, with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also set to vacate and arrange separate accommodations; Andrew will relocate to private quarters on the remote Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, approximately 100 miles from London, as soon as practicable, while retaining his position eighth in line to the throne and without impact to his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s statuses. The palace emphasized the necessity of these measures to uphold institutional integrity, expressing sympathies for victims of abuse, as public and parliamentary pressure mounted over Andrew’s rent-free tenure on crown property amid his 2022 withdrawal from official duties and military affiliations.