Nate's Fine Foods, Roseville, California,&nbsp;announced a recall of nearly 245,000 pounds of pre-cooked pasta linked to a&nbsp;deadly listeria outbreak&nbsp;and potential contamination of dozens of products sold at grocery stores nationwide, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760060042421.png" alt="Image FDA" />
 <figcaption>Image FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>Nate's Fine Foods, Roseville, California,&nbsp;announced a recall of nearly 245,000 pounds of pre-cooked pasta linked to a&nbsp;deadly listeria outbreak&nbsp;and potential contamination of dozens of products sold at grocery stores nationwide, according to the Food and Drug Administration.The recall also includes&nbsp;<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/freshrealm-recalls-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo-products-due-possible-listeria" target="_blank">FreshRealm’s Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo</a>&nbsp;12.5-oz (sold at Kroger and Walmart)</li><li><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/freshrealm-recalls-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo-products-due-possible-listeria" target="_blank">FreshRealm’s Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine</a>&nbsp;12.3-oz and 32.8-oz (sold at Kroger and Walmart)</li><li><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-ready-eat-meals-containing-pasta-may-be-contaminated" target="_blank">FreshRealm’s Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs &amp; Marinara Sauce</a>&nbsp;12-oz. (sold at Walmart)</li><li><a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/update-albertsons-companies-voluntarily-recalls-select-store-made-deli-items-containing-bowtie-pasta" target="_blank">Albertsons Companies store-made deli pasta salads</a>&nbsp;(sold under multiple brand names including Albertsons, Safeway and Vons)</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-ready-eat-meals-containing-pasta-may-be-contaminated" target="_blank">Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettucine Alfredo</a>&nbsp;16-oz plastic tray packages</li><li><a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/demers-food-group-voluntarily-recalls-select-scott-jons-shrimp-scampi-linguini-bowls-due-ingredient" target="_blank">Demer Food Group’s</a>&nbsp;Scott &amp; Jon’s Shrimp Scampi with Linguini Bowls 9.6-oz</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/kroger-voluntarily-recalls-two-varieties-deli-pasta-salads-because-possible-health-risk" target="_blank">Kroger deli bowtie and penne pasta salads</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/giant-eagle-recalls-smoked-mozzarella-pasta-salad-due-potential-listeria-monocytogenes-contamination" target="_blank">Giant Eagle smoked mozzarella pasta salad</a></li>
 </ul>

Listeria outbreak: Company recalls nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Loyola University Chicago is greatly saddened to confirm the death of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM. This is a tremendous loss of someone who touched the lives of so many people. We appreciate everyone’s thoughts &amp; prayers during this difficult time. Details to follow. <a href="https://t.co/zPiMY1MsIu">pic.twitter.com/zPiMY1MsIu</a>&mdash; Loyola University Chicago (@LoyolaChicago) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoyolaChicago/status/1976495097702162781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Beloved March Madness icon Sister Jean dies at 106

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">American farmers deserve fair global markets!🇺🇸 Joe Biden failed to enforce President Trump&#39;s over $50 BILLION trade deal with China, and failed to sign ANY new trade deals. This harmed our Farmers greatly. Thanks to leadership from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, we are fixing that. These markets… <a href="https://t.co/wHy952sOh2">https://t.co/wHy952sOh2</a>&mdash; Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRollins/status/1976341155890544683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Ag secretary says aid for farmers is coming but delayed by shutdown

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — A powerhouse of Nebraska agriculture has taken top honors in this year’s “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” contest. The Case IH Axial-Flow 8250 combine, built at CNH Industrial’s Grand Island plant, was crowned the 2025 winner, beating out a field of innovative creations from across the state.

The statewide competition, hosted by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance with support from Pinnacle Bank, shines a spotlight on the products and people that drive Nebraska’s manufacturing economy.

Voters narrowed down dozens of entries to a “Sweet 16” list featuring everything from heavy equipment to hometown favorites. Among the finalists were Kawasaki’s Teryx off-road vehicles, Hornady’s precision A-Tip Match bullets, Dorothy Lynch salad dressing, and Valentino’s pizza sauce — each representing the range of craftsmanship and creativity found across the state.

Other standout contenders included Handlebend’s handcrafted copper mugs, Badass Workbench’s industrial-grade workbenches, and Brown Sheep Company’s Nebraska-spun wool yarn, showcasing how diverse Nebraska-made products have become.

The contest is part of the state’s Manufacturing Month celebration, designed to highlight the industry’s nearly 100,000 workers and the role manufacturing plays in supporting rural communities.

Organizers say the competition isn’t just about bragging rights — it’s about pride. From Grand Island’s massive combines to small-town workshops turning out one-of-a-kind creations, each nominee tells the story of Nebraska ingenuity at work.

For CNH Industrial employees, this year’s title is a nod to both craftsmanship and community — proving that one of the coolest things made anywhere in the world starts right here in Nebraska.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759981171300.png" alt="AF Series Combine" />
 <figcaption>AF Series Combine</figcaption>
 </figure>GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — A powerhouse of Nebraska agriculture has taken top honors in this year’s “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” contest. The Case IH Axial-Flow 8250 combine, built at CNH Industrial’s Grand Island plant, was crowned the 2025 winner, beating out a field of innovative creations from across the state.The statewide competition, hosted by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance with support from Pinnacle Bank, shines a spotlight on the products and people that drive Nebraska’s manufacturing economy.Voters narrowed down dozens of entries to a “Sweet 16” list featuring everything from heavy equipment to hometown favorites. Among the finalists were Kawasaki’s Teryx off-road vehicles, Hornady’s precision A-Tip Match bullets, Dorothy Lynch salad dressing, and Valentino’s pizza sauce — each representing the range of craftsmanship and creativity found across the state.Other standout contenders included Handlebend’s handcrafted copper mugs, Badass Workbench’s industrial-grade workbenches, and Brown Sheep Company’s Nebraska-spun wool yarn, showcasing how diverse Nebraska-made products have become.The contest is part of the state’s Manufacturing Month celebration, designed to highlight the industry’s nearly 100,000 workers and the role manufacturing plays in supporting rural communities.Organizers say the competition isn’t just about bragging rights — it’s about pride. From Grand Island’s massive combines to small-town workshops turning out one-of-a-kind creations, each nominee tells the story of Nebraska ingenuity at work.For CNH Industrial employees, this year’s title is a nod to both craftsmanship and community — proving that one of the coolest things made anywhere in the world starts right here in Nebraska.

Grand Island Combine Earns Top Honors in Statewide “Nebraska's Coolest Thing” Contest

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate has confirmed 107 of President Donald Trump’s nominees in a single vote, 51–47, using recently changed procedural rules designed to clear a backlog of executive branch positions.

The confirmations, largely along party lines, were made possible by a rule change allowing multiple non-judicial nominees to be bundled and voted on together with a simple majority. Senate Republicans argued the new process restores efficiency to a system slowed by partisan obstruction, while Democrats warned that it reduces scrutiny and limits oversight of nominees.

The slate of confirmed officials includes ambassadors, agency heads, and U.S. attorneys, among them Herschel Walker, confirmed as Ambassador to the Bahamas, and Sergio Gor, confirmed as Ambassador to India. Several key domestic agency leadership positions were also filled, including posts at the Federal Railroad Administration.

This batch of 107 confirmations follows an earlier vote that approved 48 nominees under the same expedited rules, significantly shrinking the administration’s backlog of pending appointments. By streamlining the process, Senate Republicans aim to ensure that critical government positions are staffed and agencies can operate effectively.

The procedural shift, sometimes referred to as the “nuclear option,” reduces the ability of the minority party to block nominations with extended debate or procedural maneuvers. Supporters say it addresses longstanding inefficiencies, while critics argue it could weaken Senate oversight and diminish the opportunity for careful consideration of each nominee’s qualifications.

Political analysts note that the vote underscores the Senate’s growing partisanship. While the new rules accelerate confirmations, they also raise questions about transparency and the balance of power between the majority and minority parties in future legislative sessions.

With key positions now filled, attention turns to how quickly agencies implement new policies and programs. Observers also will watch whether this approach is extended to higher-profile nominations, such as Cabinet secretaries or federal judges, or remains confined to non-judicial and sub-cabinet appointments.

By confirming this large number of nominees in one vote, the Senate has not only cleared a significant backlog but also signaled a potential long-term shift in how presidential appointments are handled — prioritizing speed and efficiency while stirring debate over oversight and procedural norms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760020671321.png" alt="Senator John Thune speaks on the Senate floor attesting to the bulk confirmation." />
 <figcaption>Senator John Thune speaks on the Senate floor attesting to the bulk confirmation.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate has confirmed 107 of President Donald Trump’s nominees in a single vote, 51–47, using recently changed procedural rules designed to clear a backlog of executive branch positions.The confirmations, largely along party lines, were made possible by a rule change allowing multiple non-judicial nominees to be bundled and voted on together with a simple majority. Senate Republicans argued the new process restores efficiency to a system slowed by partisan obstruction, while Democrats warned that it reduces scrutiny and limits oversight of nominees.The slate of confirmed officials includes ambassadors, agency heads, and U.S. attorneys, among them Herschel Walker, confirmed as Ambassador to the Bahamas, and Sergio Gor, confirmed as Ambassador to India. Several key domestic agency leadership positions were also filled, including posts at the Federal Railroad Administration.This batch of 107 confirmations follows an earlier vote that approved 48 nominees under the same expedited rules, significantly shrinking the administration’s backlog of pending appointments. By streamlining the process, Senate Republicans aim to ensure that critical government positions are staffed and agencies can operate effectively.The procedural shift, sometimes referred to as the “nuclear option,” reduces the ability of the minority party to block nominations with extended debate or procedural maneuvers. Supporters say it addresses longstanding inefficiencies, while critics argue it could weaken Senate oversight and diminish the opportunity for careful consideration of each nominee’s qualifications.Political analysts note that the vote underscores the Senate’s growing partisanship. While the new rules accelerate confirmations, they also raise questions about transparency and the balance of power between the majority and minority parties in future legislative sessions.With key positions now filled, attention turns to how quickly agencies implement new policies and programs. Observers also will watch whether this approach is extended to higher-profile nominations, such as Cabinet secretaries or federal judges, or remains confined to non-judicial and sub-cabinet appointments.By confirming this large number of nominees in one vote, the Senate has not only cleared a significant backlog but also signaled a potential long-term shift in how presidential appointments are handled — prioritizing speed and efficiency while stirring debate over oversight and procedural norms.

Senate Confirms 107 Trump Nominees in Bulk Vote

By&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate&nbsp;failed to advance Wednesday night a resolution designed to curb the president’s power regarding military actions abroad after the Trump administration ordered four strikes on boats in the Caribbean.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/83/text" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;failed to advance 48-51.&nbsp;Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia forced a procedural vote on the measure, which would have blocked the Trump administration from engaging in hostilities abroad without congressional approval.&nbsp;

Two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined nearly all Democrats voting in favor. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote against advancing the measure.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a tool for Congress to check the balances of power of the executive branch by limiting the president’s ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad.&nbsp;

Since September, President Donald Trump has approved four known military strikes in the Caribbean that have killed 21 so far, and, without offering evidence, said the boats were used by drug cartel members.&nbsp;

“We call them water drugs,” Trump said about the most recent known boat strike on Oct. 3. “The drugs that come in through the water.”

The White House has released few details of the strikes.&nbsp;

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, also without providing any evidence,<a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1974150886084485503" target="_blank">&nbsp;said on social media</a>&nbsp;that the boats contained narcotics heading for the U.S.

“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” Hegseth wrote. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”

Those attacks have taken place in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, Hegseth added.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,&nbsp;<a href="https://presidencia.gob.ve/Site/Web/Principal/paginas/classMostrarEvento3.php?id_evento=30847" target="_blank">in a statement</a>, condemned the attacks as an “illegal incursion of combat aircraft from the United States.”

It’s illegal for the U.S. military to intentionally kill civilians who are not actively taking part in hostilities against the U.S.&nbsp;

Senate Democrats and some Republicans have expressed skepticism about claims from the Trump administration that the boats were affiliated with drug cartels and have pushed the White House for more information on the boat strikes.&nbsp;

Kaine said it’s possible that more people have died in the boat strikes, but they are seeking that information. He added that the strikes circumvent Congress’ authority to declare war.&nbsp;

“We are vested with the power of declaring war. We ask basic questions,”&nbsp; Kaine, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. “Give us the intel about these particular boats, that they’re actually carrying narcotics.”

The Trump administration has argued that the strikes on the boats don’t warrant notification to Congress because they don’t rise to the level of war, and that the attacks are in self-defense. Kaine said he rejects those arguments.

“That’s just an invented rationale,” he said. “Self-defense has always been understood (as) imminent attack, imminent invasion of the United States. It is not within the norm of self-defense to define a drugrunner’s operation.”&nbsp;

Paul said he is working on getting a briefing from the White House about the strikes and was skeptical that in the most recent strike, the four people killed were affiliated with drug cartels.

“If they’re members of a gang and you know them to be terrorists, and you’re convinced enough to kill them, why shouldn’t you know their names?” Paul said.&nbsp;

Schiff said that since the first U.S. military attack near Venezuela in early September, the White House has not answered his and other lawmakers’ questions on those missions.&nbsp;

“We just have little or no information about who was on board these ships, or what intelligence was used, or what the rationale was, and how certain we can be that everyone on that ship deserved to die,” he said.&nbsp;

Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to limit the president’s authority to wage war overseas after the Nixon administration secretly bombed Vietnam and Cambodia,&nbsp;<a href="https://gsp.yale.edu/sites/default/files/walrus_cambodiabombing_oct06.pdf" target="_blank">killing hundreds of thousands of people.</a>&nbsp;Then-President Richard Nixon vetoed the resolution, but Congress overrode the veto.&nbsp;

By&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">Ariana Figueroa</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate&nbsp;failed to advance Wednesday night a resolution designed to curb the president’s power regarding military actions abroad after the Trump administration ordered four strikes on boats in the Caribbean.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Earlier this morning, on President Trump&#39;s orders, I directed a lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Four male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the… <a href="https://t.co/QpNPljFcGn">pic.twitter.com/QpNPljFcGn</a>&mdash; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1974150886084485503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 BREAKING: US Senate REJECTS advancing a measure to stop President Trump and Pete Hegseth from unilaterally striking narco-terrorist boats coming through the Caribbean to poison and kill Americans, 48-51 JOHN FETTERMAN (D) votes NAY. Republicans RAND PAUL and LISA MURKOWSKI… <a href="https://t.co/MEGTdQECXn">pic.twitter.com/MEGTdQECXn</a>&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976080295368523866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/83/text" target="_blank">resolution</a>&nbsp;failed to advance 48-51.&nbsp;Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia forced a procedural vote on the measure, which would have blocked the Trump administration from engaging in hostilities abroad without congressional approval.&nbsp;Two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined nearly all Democrats voting in favor. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote against advancing the measure.The War Powers Resolution of 1973 is a tool for Congress to check the balances of power of the executive branch by limiting the president’s ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad.&nbsp;Since September, President Donald Trump has approved four known military strikes in the Caribbean that have killed 21 so far, and, without offering evidence, said the boats were used by drug cartel members.&nbsp;“We call them water drugs,” Trump said about the most recent known boat strike on Oct. 3. “The drugs that come in through the water.”The White House has released few details of the strikes.&nbsp;Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, also without providing any evidence,<a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1974150886084485503" target="_blank">&nbsp;said on social media</a>&nbsp;that the boats contained narcotics heading for the U.S.“Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” Hegseth wrote. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!”Those attacks have taken place in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, Hegseth added.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,&nbsp;<a href="https://presidencia.gob.ve/Site/Web/Principal/paginas/classMostrarEvento3.php?id_evento=30847" target="_blank">in a statement</a>, condemned the attacks as an “illegal incursion of combat aircraft from the United States.”<h2>Use of military</h2>It’s illegal for the U.S. military to intentionally kill civilians who are not actively taking part in hostilities against the U.S.&nbsp;Senate Democrats and some Republicans have expressed skepticism about claims from the Trump administration that the boats were affiliated with drug cartels and have pushed the White House for more information on the boat strikes.&nbsp;Kaine said it’s possible that more people have died in the boat strikes, but they are seeking that information. He added that the strikes circumvent Congress’ authority to declare war.&nbsp;“We are vested with the power of declaring war. We ask basic questions,”&nbsp; Kaine, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. “Give us the intel about these particular boats, that they’re actually carrying narcotics.”The Trump administration has argued that the strikes on the boats don’t warrant notification to Congress because they don’t rise to the level of war, and that the attacks are in self-defense. Kaine said he rejects those arguments.“That’s just an invented rationale,” he said. “Self-defense has always been understood (as) imminent attack, imminent invasion of the United States. It is not within the norm of self-defense to define a drugrunner’s operation.”&nbsp;Paul said he is working on getting a briefing from the White House about the strikes and was skeptical that in the most recent strike, the four people killed were affiliated with drug cartels.“If they’re members of a gang and you know them to be terrorists, and you’re convinced enough to kill them, why shouldn’t you know their names?” Paul said.&nbsp;Schiff said that since the first U.S. military attack near Venezuela in early September, the White House has not answered his and other lawmakers’ questions on those missions.&nbsp;“We just have little or no information about who was on board these ships, or what intelligence was used, or what the rationale was, and how certain we can be that everyone on that ship deserved to die,” he said.&nbsp;Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to limit the president’s authority to wage war overseas after the Nixon administration secretly bombed Vietnam and Cambodia,&nbsp;<a href="https://gsp.yale.edu/sites/default/files/walrus_cambodiabombing_oct06.pdf" target="_blank">killing hundreds of thousands of people.</a>&nbsp;Then-President Richard Nixon vetoed the resolution, but Congress overrode the veto.&nbsp;

US Senate rejects restriction of military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean

&nbsp; By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jsalinas/">Juan Salinas II</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/08/former-president-joe-biden-heads-to-nebraska/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNUCCdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtDk0FUvqzeXXFwmu2KGVKKmn85w-rIWh6Ec3Lc6XqKBwfNu7NtGyGFMZ9L__aem_iFGXQEwZMmhumxrV-xmFXQ">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Former&nbsp;President Joe Biden is coming to Nebraska next month for the Democratic&nbsp;state party’s top annual fundraising event.&nbsp;

It will be one of the few public appearances for Biden since he dropped out of the 2024 presidential election amid concerns from party leaders over his electability following a debate performance against then-former President Donald Trump.

Biden in 2010 visited Nebraska to campaign for then-Democratic congressional nominee Tom White while Biden was vice president. He also visited the state in 2017 and 2019. He never visited Nebraska during his presidency,&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_bdbfe024-d449-11ef-8c64-e77d98e25a3e.html" target="_blank">breaking a streak of presidents appearing in the state</a>. But he did visit neighboring Council Bluffs during his 2020 campaign.

Presidential hopeful Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear earlier this year announced a visit to Nebraska in November. This continues the trend of prominent Democratic figures making their way to the heartland – particularly Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, where it is likely the open seat will decide which party controls the U.S. House for the next two years.&nbsp;

Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his “Fighting Oligarchy” nationwide tour in Omaha. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hosted a Democratic town hall earlier this year, and former Texas U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke had a similar town hall in August.&nbsp;

The 2nd District’s single presidential electoral vote has swung from Republican to Democratic in recent years, most recently to former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.&nbsp; Nebraska could regain the national spotlight in 2026 with the open seat and Dan Osborn’s nonpartisan Senate bid against Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts.&nbsp;

The midterms are emerging as crucial for the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/25/nebraska-is-emerging-as-crucial-for-2026-midterms-can-dems-find-an-opening/">state Democratic party as it tries to find an opening</a>. The events with prominent Democratic figures appear aimed at energizing the Nebraska Democratic base for the midterms, and come when two federal races could be competitive.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The party has had some recent successes, including Democrat John Ewing Jr.’s defeat of three-term GOP incumbent Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert earlier this year. The party is looking to win a congressional seat for the first time since former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford in 2017 and make gains in the Nebraska&nbsp; Legislature, where Republicans have gained a legislative supermajority.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717177447205.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp; By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jsalinas/">Juan Salinas II</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/08/former-president-joe-biden-heads-to-nebraska/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNUCCdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtDk0FUvqzeXXFwmu2KGVKKmn85w-rIWh6Ec3Lc6XqKBwfNu7NtGyGFMZ9L__aem_iFGXQEwZMmhumxrV-xmFXQ">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Former&nbsp;President Joe Biden is coming to Nebraska next month for the Democratic&nbsp;state party’s top annual fundraising event.&nbsp;It will be one of the few public appearances for Biden since he dropped out of the 2024 presidential election amid concerns from party leaders over his electability following a debate performance against then-former President Donald Trump.Biden in 2010 visited Nebraska to campaign for then-Democratic congressional nominee Tom White while Biden was vice president. He also visited the state in 2017 and 2019. He never visited Nebraska during his presidency,&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_bdbfe024-d449-11ef-8c64-e77d98e25a3e.html" target="_blank">breaking a streak of presidents appearing in the state</a>. But he did visit neighboring Council Bluffs during his 2020 campaign.Presidential hopeful Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear earlier this year announced a visit to Nebraska in November. This continues the trend of prominent Democratic figures making their way to the heartland – particularly Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, where it is likely the open seat will decide which party controls the U.S. House for the next two years.&nbsp;Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders launched his “Fighting Oligarchy” nationwide tour in Omaha. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hosted a Democratic town hall earlier this year, and former Texas U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke had a similar town hall in August.&nbsp;The 2nd District’s single presidential electoral vote has swung from Republican to Democratic in recent years, most recently to former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.&nbsp; Nebraska could regain the national spotlight in 2026 with the open seat and Dan Osborn’s nonpartisan Senate bid against Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts.&nbsp;The midterms are emerging as crucial for the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/08/25/nebraska-is-emerging-as-crucial-for-2026-midterms-can-dems-find-an-opening/">state Democratic party as it tries to find an opening</a>. The events with prominent Democratic figures appear aimed at energizing the Nebraska Democratic base for the midterms, and come when two federal races could be competitive.&nbsp;&nbsp;The party has had some recent successes, including Democrat John Ewing Jr.’s defeat of three-term GOP incumbent Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert earlier this year. The party is looking to win a congressional seat for the first time since former U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford in 2017 and make gains in the Nebraska&nbsp; Legislature, where Republicans have gained a legislative supermajority.

Former President Joe Biden heads to Nebraska

GERING, Neb. — A 22-year-old hiker was rescued Tuesday after being stranded overnight in a crevice on a canyon bluff in the Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area, south of Gering.&nbsp;

Authorities say the hiker began descending the bluff around dusk on Oct. 6 when he encountered a steep drop he could not climb back. 

Forced to spend the night, he stayed in a canyon crevice until morning.&nbsp;

On Oct. 7 around noon (Mountain Time), the hiker sent his coordinates to someone who immediately alerted Nebraska Game &amp; Parks, specifically Capt. Sean McKeehan. 

Conservation officers and wildlife staff moved quickly to locate him.&nbsp;

Gering Fire &amp; Rescue used rappelling gear to lower a harness to the trapped hiker, then lifted him safely down to the canyon floor. 

He was examined by Regional West Emergency Management Services afterward and released—they found no life-threatening injuries. 

&nbsp;Additional support at the scene came from the Nebraska State Patrol and Gering Police Department.&nbsp;

Cedar Canyon WMA is known for its pine and juniper-covered escarpments, meadows, canyons, and rugged terrain.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759980421924.jpeg" alt="Cedar Canyon WMA is located southwest of Gering, Nebraska. The area is approximately 2,225 acres of pine and juniper covered escarpments, meadows, canyons and wooded draws." />
 <figcaption>Cedar Canyon WMA is located southwest of Gering, Nebraska. The area is approximately 2,225 acres of pine and juniper covered escarpments, meadows, canyons and wooded draws.</figcaption>
 </figure>GERING, Neb. — A 22-year-old hiker was rescued Tuesday after being stranded overnight in a crevice on a canyon bluff in the Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area, south of Gering.&nbsp;Authorities say the hiker began descending the bluff around dusk on Oct. 6 when he encountered a steep drop he could not climb back. Forced to spend the night, he stayed in a canyon crevice until morning.&nbsp;On Oct. 7 around noon (Mountain Time), the hiker sent his coordinates to someone who immediately alerted Nebraska Game &amp; Parks, specifically Capt. Sean McKeehan. Conservation officers and wildlife staff moved quickly to locate him.&nbsp;Gering Fire &amp; Rescue used rappelling gear to lower a harness to the trapped hiker, then lifted him safely down to the canyon floor. He was examined by Regional West Emergency Management Services afterward and released—they found no life-threatening injuries. &nbsp;Additional support at the scene came from the Nebraska State Patrol and Gering Police Department.&nbsp;Cedar Canyon WMA is known for its pine and juniper-covered escarpments, meadows, canyons, and rugged terrain.&nbsp;

Hiker Rescued After Being Trapped on Canyon Bluff in Western Nebraska

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨🚨🚨 <a href="https://t.co/14iLLYKxVY">pic.twitter.com/14iLLYKxVY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976058170251399241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨🚨🚨 <a href="https://t.co/14iLLYKxVY">pic.twitter.com/14iLLYKxVY</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976058170251399241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we&#39;re very close to a deal in the Middle East.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EGn45SgLfm">pic.twitter.com/EGn45SgLfm</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976031749022142872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Iconic <a href="https://t.co/4VutKfZJWT">https://t.co/4VutKfZJWT</a> <a href="https://t.co/m6AFDXKyT0">pic.twitter.com/m6AFDXKyT0</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1976032423633953106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Middle East Peace deal: Trump has good news 

Former NICWC board member
Grace Johnson, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is the new director of training and education for the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition (NICWC).&nbsp;

Johnson joined NICWC on Sept. 25 and hit the ground running by supporting an advanced Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training, developed and led by NICWC Tribal Liaison Kitty Washburn.&nbsp;


Johnson offered valuable insights throughout the training sessions that included site visits to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Red Cloud Indian School, and the Indian Health Service Hospital in Pine Ridge, S.D., as well as a session for the Nebraska Department of
 Health and Human Services.&nbsp;


Johnson comes to NICWC after serving for nearly two years with the Nebraska Attorney General’s office as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Tribal Liaison.&nbsp;


“We are thrilled to have Grace join our team,” said Deborah Dancer, executive director of NICWC.&nbsp;&nbsp;


“Grace brings healing to every part of her work and delivers it with care and intention.&nbsp; We are looking forward to how she collectively leads training and education at NICWC.”&nbsp;


Dancer added, “Everyone who knows Grace speaks highly of her and as someone who has worked with her previously, I too can attest!&nbsp; We thank her for her board service and warmly welcome her to this new role.”&nbsp;
Johnson grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and has dedicated her life to working for the betterment of Native Americans.&nbsp;&nbsp;


"I am looking forward to working with the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition,” Johnson said. “I feel the work NICWC does is incredibly important to helping Native children and families in the foster care system by maintaining ties to their culture and
 advocating for their rights.”&nbsp;


She is a Qualified Expert Witness for ICWA law and has worked as an outreach and family support worker in the foster care system.&nbsp;


Johnson is a dual-licensed mental health therapist and drug and alcohol counselor and previously served as the director of behavioral health and the Umon’hon Nation Alcohol and Drug Program at the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center for the Omaha Tribe of
 Nebraska.&nbsp;&nbsp;


Johnson sits on the Omaha Mayor’s Native American Advisory Council. She owns her own business Red Nation Healing and is an adjunct professor at Nebraska Indian Community College.&nbsp;&nbsp;


“We are delighted to welcome Grace to our team,” said Liz Lovejoy Brown, NICWC Board President. “We are confident that her expertise will contribute significantly to the continued success of this organization.”&nbsp;


The vision of the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition is to ensure that all Native American children are raised by loving Indian families, surrounded by the people, culture and heritage that they know best.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759936689013.jpeg" alt="Grace Johnson (NICWC)" />
 <figcaption>Grace Johnson (NICWC)</figcaption>
 </figure> Former NICWC board member
Grace Johnson, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is the new director of training and education for the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition (NICWC).&nbsp;
Johnson joined NICWC on Sept. 25 and hit the ground running by supporting an advanced Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training, developed and led by NICWC Tribal Liaison Kitty Washburn.&nbsp;
Johnson offered valuable insights throughout the training sessions that included site visits to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Red Cloud Indian School, and the Indian Health Service Hospital in Pine Ridge, S.D., as well as a session for the Nebraska Department of
 Health and Human Services.&nbsp;
Johnson comes to NICWC after serving for nearly two years with the Nebraska Attorney General’s office as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Tribal Liaison.&nbsp;
“We are thrilled to have Grace join our team,” said Deborah Dancer, executive director of NICWC.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNebraskaICWC%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02jg8HFWSpVPGehJHvjXRhiTftCCo6PrzPQQ9ZqBtK6AoN3RkV8FbomegHNB4qYh2Ql&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="731" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>“Grace brings healing to every part of her work and delivers it with care and intention.&nbsp; We are looking forward to how she collectively leads training and education at NICWC.”&nbsp;
Dancer added, “Everyone who knows Grace speaks highly of her and as someone who has worked with her previously, I too can attest!&nbsp; We thank her for her board service and warmly welcome her to this new role.”&nbsp;
Johnson grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and has dedicated her life to working for the betterment of Native Americans.&nbsp;&nbsp;
"I am looking forward to working with the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition,” Johnson said. “I feel the work NICWC does is incredibly important to helping Native children and families in the foster care system by maintaining ties to their culture and
 advocating for their rights.”&nbsp;
She is a Qualified Expert Witness for ICWA law and has worked as an outreach and family support worker in the foster care system.&nbsp;
Johnson is a dual-licensed mental health therapist and drug and alcohol counselor and previously served as the director of behavioral health and the Umon’hon Nation Alcohol and Drug Program at the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center for the Omaha Tribe of
 Nebraska.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Johnson sits on the Omaha Mayor’s Native American Advisory Council. She owns her own business Red Nation Healing and is an adjunct professor at Nebraska Indian Community College.&nbsp;&nbsp;
“We are delighted to welcome Grace to our team,” said Liz Lovejoy Brown, NICWC Board President. “We are confident that her expertise will contribute significantly to the continued success of this organization.”&nbsp;
The vision of the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition is to ensure that all Native American children are raised by loving Indian families, surrounded by the people, culture and heritage that they know best.

Grace Johnson Joins NICWC as Training and Education Director

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two felony charges Wednesday in federal court in Virginia, in response to an indictment that followed an extraordinary pressure campaign from President Donald Trump.

A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136.1.0_3.pdf" target="_blank">indicted</a>&nbsp;Comey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-fbi-director-comey-indicted-2-federal-charges-after-trump-urged-prosecution" target="_blank">in September</a>&nbsp;on one charge of making false statements to Congress during testimony in 2020 and another of obstructing a proceeding of Congress. Prosecutors had sought an additional charge of making false statements, but the grand jury&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136.3.0.pdf" target="_blank">returned</a>&nbsp;only the two charges.&nbsp;

Comey faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each charge.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/comey-says-hes-standing-donald-trump-while-trump-calls-more-retribution" target="_blank">The indictment</a>&nbsp;came just days before the statute of limitations ran out.

A trial is set for early January.&nbsp;Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said he plans to file two batches of motions this month, including one alleging vindictive and selective prosecution.&nbsp;

“Our view is this prosecution was brought by President Trump,” Fitzgerald said.

Trump told his AG: ‘We can’t delay any longer’

Trump has long targeted Comey for his role leading the FBI during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump fired him after pressuring him to end the investigation and failing.&nbsp;

Trump and Comey have publicly sparred since his dismissal. Comey has denied wrongdoing.

Trump in September&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115239044548033727" target="_blank">posted</a>&nbsp;on social media urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other political enemies, demanding retribution for his own prosecutions.

“Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done,’” Trump wrote. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! President DJT.”

The president then forced out the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia when he declined to pursue charges against Comey. Trump replaced the office’s top prosecutor with former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan, who swiftly obtained an indictment.

Comey’s legal team plans to fight Halligan’s appointment as unlawful.

Classified information expected to be included

U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff for the Eastern District of Virginia agreed to Comey’s request for a trial in January, after there were no objections from the government to schedule the proceeding beyond the Dec. 17 speedy trial deadline.

Fitzgerald’s challenge to Halligan’s appointment will be heard by a judge outside the Eastern District of Virginia according to standard protocol, Nachmanoff said, adding the separate track will have no bearing on Comey’s case schedule.

Nachmanoff, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden, ordered the parties to swiftly agree on obtaining security clearances for Comey and Fitzgerald, as the government contends some of the evidence may be classified.

“We haven’t seen a single piece of discovery to date,” Fitzgerald told Nachmanoff, adding he had not received communication from government prosecutors until Tuesday.

Government prosecutor Nathaniel Lemons said he expects a “large amount” of discovery will be classified. Discovery is the process of exchanging information about witnesses and evidence in a legal case.

“We’re just getting our hands around the discovery as well,” Lemons said.

Nachmanoff responded he is “a little skeptical.”

“This does not appear to be a particularly complex case,” Nachmanoff said during the roughly 30-minute arraignment.

Fitzgerald told the judge the defense is “a bit confused” about the government’s slow movement on producing discovery.

“Frankly, we feel in this case the cart has been put before the horse,” Fitzgerald said.

Nachmanoff ordered the parties to come to a discovery agreement by week’s end, or risk the court setting one for them.

“I want to get this resolved promptly. … There should be no reason this case gets off track because of the existence of classified information,” he said.

Fitzgerald, who served as the U.S. attorney in Chicago for over a decade during the George W. Bush administration, is known for his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/osc/documents/2005_10_28_fitzgerald_press_conference.pdf" target="_blank">role</a>&nbsp;as Special Counsel in 2005 during the CIA leak case against Lewis “Scooter” Libby.

Fitzgerald told Nachmanoff that representing Comey is “the honor of my life.”

Several of Comey’s family members attended the arraignment at the Eastern District’s Albert V. Bryan Courthouse, including his daughter, Maureen Comey, who was fired earlier this year from her role as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan.&nbsp;

Comey’s son-in-law, Troy Edwards Jr., was also in attendance. Edwards resigned from his position as prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia immediately after Comey was indicted last month.&nbsp;

Oral arguments are set for Nov. 19 and Dec. 9. A trial is set for Jan. 5.

Fitzgerald initially argued for a Jan. 12 trial date, but Nachmanoff denied the request.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759946542778.png" alt="Protesters demonstrated outside the Eastern District of Virginia federal courthouse in Alexandria ahead of the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>Protesters demonstrated outside the Eastern District of Virginia federal courthouse in Alexandria ahead of the arraignment of former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two felony charges Wednesday in federal court in Virginia, in response to an indictment that followed an extraordinary pressure campaign from President Donald Trump.A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136.1.0_3.pdf" target="_blank">indicted</a>&nbsp;Comey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-fbi-director-comey-indicted-2-federal-charges-after-trump-urged-prosecution" target="_blank">in September</a>&nbsp;on one charge of making false statements to Congress during testimony in 2020 and another of obstructing a proceeding of Congress. Prosecutors had sought an additional charge of making false statements, but the grand jury&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136.3.0.pdf" target="_blank">returned</a>&nbsp;only the two charges.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758848907803.png" alt="Comey from his Instagram message responding to the indictment" />
 <figcaption>Comey from his Instagram message responding to the indictment</figcaption>
 </figure>Comey faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each charge.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/comey-says-hes-standing-donald-trump-while-trump-calls-more-retribution" target="_blank">The indictment</a>&nbsp;came just days before the statute of limitations ran out.A trial is set for early January.&nbsp;Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said he plans to file two batches of motions this month, including one alleging vindictive and selective prosecution.&nbsp;“Our view is this prosecution was brought by President Trump,” Fitzgerald said.<h2>Trump told his AG: ‘We can’t delay any longer’</h2>Trump has long targeted Comey for his role leading the FBI during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.Trump fired him after pressuring him to end the investigation and failing.&nbsp;Trump and Comey have publicly sparred since his dismissal. Comey has denied wrongdoing.Trump in September&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115239044548033727" target="_blank">posted</a>&nbsp;on social media urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and other political enemies, demanding retribution for his own prosecutions.“Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done,’” Trump wrote. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! President DJT.”The president then forced out the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia when he declined to pursue charges against Comey. Trump replaced the office’s top prosecutor with former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan, who swiftly obtained an indictment.Comey’s legal team plans to fight Halligan’s appointment as unlawful.<h2>Classified information expected to be included</h2>U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff for the Eastern District of Virginia agreed to Comey’s request for a trial in January, after there were no objections from the government to schedule the proceeding beyond the Dec. 17 speedy trial deadline.Fitzgerald’s challenge to Halligan’s appointment will be heard by a judge outside the Eastern District of Virginia according to standard protocol, Nachmanoff said, adding the separate track will have no bearing on Comey’s case schedule.Nachmanoff, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden, ordered the parties to swiftly agree on obtaining security clearances for Comey and Fitzgerald, as the government contends some of the evidence may be classified.“We haven’t seen a single piece of discovery to date,” Fitzgerald told Nachmanoff, adding he had not received communication from government prosecutors until Tuesday.Government prosecutor Nathaniel Lemons said he expects a “large amount” of discovery will be classified. Discovery is the process of exchanging information about witnesses and evidence in a legal case.“We’re just getting our hands around the discovery as well,” Lemons said.Nachmanoff responded he is “a little skeptical.”“This does not appear to be a particularly complex case,” Nachmanoff said during the roughly 30-minute arraignment.Fitzgerald told the judge the defense is “a bit confused” about the government’s slow movement on producing discovery.“Frankly, we feel in this case the cart has been put before the horse,” Fitzgerald said.Nachmanoff ordered the parties to come to a discovery agreement by week’s end, or risk the court setting one for them.“I want to get this resolved promptly. … There should be no reason this case gets off track because of the existence of classified information,” he said.<h2>Comey’s family accompanies him</h2>Fitzgerald, who served as the U.S. attorney in Chicago for over a decade during the George W. Bush administration, is known for his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/osc/documents/2005_10_28_fitzgerald_press_conference.pdf" target="_blank">role</a>&nbsp;as Special Counsel in 2005 during the CIA leak case against Lewis “Scooter” Libby.Fitzgerald told Nachmanoff that representing Comey is “the honor of my life.”Several of Comey’s family members attended the arraignment at the Eastern District’s Albert V. Bryan Courthouse, including his daughter, Maureen Comey, who was fired earlier this year from her role as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan.&nbsp;Comey’s son-in-law, Troy Edwards Jr., was also in attendance. Edwards resigned from his position as prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia immediately after Comey was indicted last month.&nbsp;Oral arguments are set for Nov. 19 and Dec. 9. A trial is set for Jan. 5.Fitzgerald initially argued for a Jan. 12 trial date, but Nachmanoff denied the request.

Former FBI director faces a judge on federal charges of lying to Congress

On Wednesday the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of  29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.

The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht's started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day -- a blaze that eventually turned into one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction.

Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city.

While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy.

Rinderknecht's initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Orlando. Rinderknecht is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759939153486.png" alt="Palisades fire -photo FAA" />
 <figcaption>Palisades fire -photo FAA</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously starting what became the Palisades Fire in January.The complaint alleges that Rinderknecht's started a fire in Pacific Palisades on New Year's Day -- a blaze that eventually turned into one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, causing death and widespread destruction.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759941697774.png" alt="Rinderknecht photo U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Rinderknecht photo U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Among the evidence that was collected from his digital devices was an image he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning city.While we cannot undo the damage and destruction that was done, we hope his arrest and the charges against him bring some measure of justice to the victims of this horrific tragedy.Rinderknecht's initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Orlando. Rinderknecht is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Man arrested, accused of starting wildfire that leveled LA neighborhood

Rep. Sharice Davids seeks extension of health tax credit used by 160K Kansans

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall diagnosed the ongoing shutdown of the federal government as a malignancy infecting Democratic lawmakers.

The Kansas Republican, who was a physician in an obstetrics practice before elected to Congress, said Democrats at the Capitol were infected with “Trump derangement syndrome.”

“They have a hatred for President Trump that I’ve never seen,” Marshall said on a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Marshall, who was among lawmakers skeptical of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020, said an underlying issue was Democrats had yet to accept outcome of 2024 elections that placed Republicans in control of the House, Senate and White House.

“If you want to continue your liberal socialist policies, Democrats, win an election,” Marshall said.

He accused Democrats of using the shutdown that began Oct. 1 to play hypocritical games with U.S. health care policy. The most “failed system” and “biggest waste of money” is the Medicaid system that has enrolled about 400,000 Kansans, he said. The senator said Democrats were complicit in creating financial challenges that threaten rural hospitals in Kansas and other states.

The six-person Kansas congressional delegation — five Republicans, one Democrat — have shared views on the weeklong shutdown tied to failure to pass a short-term funding bill to finance government operations. Democrats conditioned support for a bill on extension of health subsidies that lowered the consumer cost of Affordable Care Act plans. Republicans say the shutdown must end before working on the tax credits for health insurance.

The House adopted a temporary funding bill, but the Senate hasn’t voted for a comparable bill allowing the government to function until Nov. 21.

“This is not a shutdown that makes any sense at all,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “The American people — Kansans — deserve something different from the U.S. Senate. Every city council or commission, every school board, every local government office in my state passes a budget and then lives within that budget every year. Every local unit of government can figure this out, and the U.S. Senate is failing one more time.”

Moran, who has voted with Marshall to break the Senate’s deadlock, said the federal government shutdown “means uncertainty. A shutdown means dysfunction.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the lone Democrat in the delegation, said Democrats in Congress were fighting to extend availability of ACA tax credits to keep health care affordable. More than 160,000 Kansans relied last year on tax credits the 3rd District representative said should be made permanent.

“Because congressional Republicans have refused to extend them, premiums could rise by $700 next year, putting thousands of Kansans at risk of paying more or losing coverage,” Davids said.

She said the shutdown would harm hardworking Kansans and the moment called for Republicans and Democrats to work together on a solution.

U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, a Republican serving the 2nd District in eastern Kansas, said the Senate ought to get behind the House-passed bipartisan bill. The approach would get the wheels of government moving and create time for the House and Senate to work on full-year appropriations bills, he said.

“Regrettably,” Schmidt said, “Senate Democrats are insisting on the inclusion of a $1.5 trillion wish list of additional reckless spending instead of passing the House’s continuing resolution. This shutdown is entirely the result of those unreasonable demands.”

U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican in the mostly rural 1st District, said the shutdown was triggered by Democrats who wanted taxpayers to “pay for health care for illegal immigrants and authorize trillions of new dollars in federal spending.”

He complained Democrats would rather see Trump fail than work in a bipartisan manner to operate government.

“I understand that some in Washington prefer to grandstand and try to score political points rather than do what’s best for the country, but it is time to stop the political theater and work together to get our fiscal house in order,” Mann said.

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, the 4th District congressman serving the Wichita area, said he had his congressional pay withheld due to the shutdown. He blamed U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and his allies for the impasse.

“Republicans have done our job,” Estes said. “I hope my Democrat colleagues will put Americans first and end this shutdown soon.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759235271107.png" alt="U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, says Democrats interrupted federal government operations due to a "derangement syndrome" tied to opposition of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Marshall referred to the weeklong shutdown as a "cynical political" effort to comply with "radical left-wing extremists." (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, says Democrats interrupted federal government operations due to a "derangement syndrome" tied to opposition of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;Marshall referred to the weeklong shutdown as a "cynical political" effort to comply with "radical left-wing extremists." (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Rep. Sharice Davids seeks extension of health tax credit used by 160K Kansans</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall diagnosed the ongoing shutdown of the federal government as a malignancy infecting Democratic lawmakers.The Kansas Republican, who was a physician in an obstetrics practice before elected to Congress, said Democrats at the Capitol were infected with “Trump derangement syndrome.”“They have a hatred for President Trump that I’ve never seen,” Marshall said on a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.Marshall, who was among lawmakers skeptical of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020, said an underlying issue was Democrats had yet to accept outcome of 2024 elections that placed Republicans in control of the House, Senate and White House.“If you want to continue your liberal socialist policies, Democrats, win an election,” Marshall said.He accused Democrats of using the shutdown that began Oct. 1 to play hypocritical games with U.S. health care policy. The most “failed system” and “biggest waste of money” is the Medicaid system that has enrolled about 400,000 Kansans, he said. The senator said Democrats were complicit in creating financial challenges that threaten rural hospitals in Kansas and other states.The six-person Kansas congressional delegation — five Republicans, one Democrat — have shared views on the weeklong shutdown tied to failure to pass a short-term funding bill to finance government operations. Democrats conditioned support for a bill on extension of health subsidies that lowered the consumer cost of Affordable Care Act plans. Republicans say the shutdown must end before working on the tax credits for health insurance.The House adopted a temporary funding bill, but the Senate hasn’t voted for a comparable bill allowing the government to function until Nov. 21.“This is not a shutdown that makes any sense at all,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. “The American people — Kansans — deserve something different from the U.S. Senate. Every city council or commission, every school board, every local government office in my state passes a budget and then lives within that budget every year. Every local unit of government can figure this out, and the U.S. Senate is failing one more time.”Moran, who has voted with Marshall to break the Senate’s deadlock, said the federal government shutdown “means uncertainty. A shutdown means dysfunction.”U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the lone Democrat in the delegation, said Democrats in Congress were fighting to extend availability of ACA tax credits to keep health care affordable. More than 160,000 Kansans relied last year on tax credits the 3rd District representative said should be made permanent.“Because congressional Republicans have refused to extend them, premiums could rise by $700 next year, putting thousands of Kansans at risk of paying more or losing coverage,” Davids said.She said the shutdown would harm hardworking Kansans and the moment called for Republicans and Democrats to work together on a solution.U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, a Republican serving the 2nd District in eastern Kansas, said the Senate ought to get behind the House-passed bipartisan bill. The approach would get the wheels of government moving and create time for the House and Senate to work on full-year appropriations bills, he said.“Regrettably,” Schmidt said, “Senate Democrats are insisting on the inclusion of a $1.5 trillion wish list of additional reckless spending instead of passing the House’s continuing resolution. This shutdown is entirely the result of those unreasonable demands.”U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican in the mostly rural 1st District, said the shutdown was triggered by Democrats who wanted taxpayers to “pay for health care for illegal immigrants and authorize trillions of new dollars in federal spending.”He complained Democrats would rather see Trump fail than work in a bipartisan manner to operate government.“I understand that some in Washington prefer to grandstand and try to score political points rather than do what’s best for the country, but it is time to stop the political theater and work together to get our fiscal house in order,” Mann said.U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, the 4th District congressman serving the Wichita area, said he had his congressional pay withheld due to the shutdown. He blamed U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and his allies for the impasse.“Republicans have done our job,” Estes said. “I hope my Democrat colleagues will put Americans first and end this shutdown soon.”

U.S. Senator Marshall points to ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ as culprit in shutdown

&nbsp;Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a combative Senate Judiciary hearing on Tuesday. with questions on the Epstein files and other controversial issues.

&nbsp;Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a combative Senate Judiciary hearing on Tuesday. with questions on the Epstein files and other controversial issues.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a>&#39;s opening remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee: &quot;We learned the former FBI secretly investigated you and your colleagues... this is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people&#39;s faith in our law enforcement system. We will work to earn that back… <a href="https://t.co/Y5ZiXCTCPD">pic.twitter.com/Y5ZiXCTCPD</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975563351452246212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Your city has a murder rate five times higher than New. York&#39;s — 571 homicides last year,&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a> to the insufferable <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDurbin</a> on the National Guard in Chicago. &quot;We&#39;re there to help make America safe and Illinois safe — whether or not you want to.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/qgbZIryITP">pic.twitter.com/qgbZIryITP</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975568173291515944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. SCHIFF: You’ve refused to answer questions about ethics, the Qatari plane, the Epstein files, Tom Homan’s alleged bribery, political prosecutions, military authorization… Bondi: *tries interrupting* Schiff: Excuse me. This is an oversight hearing. We demand answers. <a href="https://t.co/GSeAoMtcf4">pic.twitter.com/GSeAoMtcf4</a>&mdash; Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryDems/status/1975669931955134611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a> cooks <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorDurbin</a>: &quot;I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump — and currently, the National Guard are on the way to Chicago. If you&#39;re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.&quot; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/4CoNdH5w4p">pic.twitter.com/4CoNdH5w4p</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975561272919015731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. DURBIN: Why was the FBI directed to flag Donald Trump’s name in the Epstein files? Bondi: I&#39;m not going to discuss anything related to these files. Durbin: Eventually, you&#39;re going to have to answer. <a href="https://t.co/OEUJEaReeM">pic.twitter.com/OEUJEaReeM</a>&mdash; Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryDems/status/1975621594841305544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. KLOBUCHAR: Do you support raising the age to 21 to purchase assault weapons? Bondi: I won’t discuss pending litigation. Sen. KLOBUCHAR: Your views are not pending litigation. <a href="https://t.co/RpCItcSjf5">pic.twitter.com/RpCItcSjf5</a>&mdash; Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryDems/status/1975625224537378969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Some highlights of AG Pam Bondi's fiery Senate hearing

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaclairevollers/">Anna Claire Vollers</a>

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a case that could reverse or solidify state laws across the country that ban a controversial counseling practice for LGBTQ+ youth.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-539">Click here to listen</a>&nbsp;to a replay of the oral argument

The case challenges a 2019 Colorado law that bans “conversion therapy” for children and teens. Conversion therapy is a catchall term for efforts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ people. Sometimes called “reparative therapy,” it can range from talk therapy and religious counseling to&nbsp;<a href="https://hls.harvard.edu/today/human-rights-program-hosts-un-expert-consultation-on-so-called-conversion-therapy-practices/#:~:text=an%20umbrella%20term%20referring%20to%20practices%20ranging%20from%20talk%20therapy%20to%20emotion%20suppression%20to%20electrical%20shocks%20that%20aim%20to%20change%20a%20person%E2%80%99s%20sexual%20orientation%20and/or%20gender%20identity." target="_blank">electrical shocks</a>, pain-inducing&nbsp;<a href="https://hls.harvard.edu/today/human-rights-program-hosts-un-expert-consultation-on-so-called-conversion-therapy-practices/#:~:text=an%20umbrella%20term%20referring%20to%20practices%20ranging%20from%20talk%20therapy%20to%20emotion%20suppression%20to%20electrical%20shocks%20that%20aim%20to%20change%20a%20person%E2%80%99s%20sexual%20orientation%20and/or%20gender%20identity." target="_blank">aversion therapy</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nursingoutlook.org/article/S0029-6554(15)00125-6/pdf" target="_blank">physical isolation</a>. The therapy has been widely discredited by medical groups.

<a href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy" target="_blank">More than half of states</a>&nbsp;— including some led by Republicans — have banned or restricted the practice for children and teens since California became the first to do so in 2012, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a left-leaning nonprofit research organization that tracks LGBTQ+-related laws and policies.

In recent years, however, Republicans in several states have worked to reverse bans, with some success. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2025/6/16/voters-strongly-oppose-so-called-conversion-therapy-think-supreme-court-should-allow-state-bans" target="_blank">poll</a>&nbsp;in June by Data for Progress, a liberal think tank, found that although less than half of Republican voters, 43%, support or strongly support conversion therapy, more than half — 56% — said the Supreme Court ought to allow states to ban it.

A decision in the Colorado case, expected next year, could have far-reaching ramifications&nbsp;for dozens of other states.

“I think we’re all really worried about the implications,” said Cliff Rosky, a professor of law at the University of Utah. Rosky helped draft&nbsp;<a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2023/bills/static/HB0228.html" target="_blank">Utah’s 2023 law</a>&nbsp;prohibiting licensed professionals from practicing conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ youth. That measure&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/UT/bill/HB0228/2023" target="_blank">unanimously passed</a>&nbsp;the Republican-controlled legislature.

“We certainly hope the court will uphold the right of states to regulate the behavior of therapists that it licenses and protect children from a lethal public health threat,” he told Stateline.

The impact on other states’ laws would depend on the scope of the high court’s ruling. But most of those laws are similar to Colorado’s, Rosky said.

“Certainly, a broad ruling against Colorado’s law would jeopardize the constitutionality of all the other laws.”

In Chiles v. Salazar, a licensed counselor in Colorado Springs, Kaley Chiles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2025/24-539" target="_blank">sued state officials</a>&nbsp;in 2022 over a law that bars licensed mental health professionals from conducting conversion therapy on clients under 18. She argues the law violates her First Amendment right to free speech and interferes with her ability to practice counseling in a way that aligns with her religious convictions. Chiles is represented by conservative religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom.

“The government has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors,” Jim Campbell, chief legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom,&nbsp;<a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/supreme-court-weighs-whether-the-government-belongs-in-the-counseling-room/" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;in a news release when the group filed its opening brief in June. “Colorado’s law harms these young people by depriving them of caring and compassionate conversations with a counselor who helps them pursue the goals they desire.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, said in an August&nbsp;<a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/08/19/supreme-court-colorado-weiser-conversion-therapy/" target="_blank">news conference</a>&nbsp;that the law doesn’t prohibit a provider from sharing information or viewpoints with a patient, and that therapists are still allowed to talk with patients about conversion practices offered by religious groups.

But he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AEZ79eDJ7/" target="_blank">called</a>&nbsp;conversion therapy a “substandard, discredited practice.” Conversion therapy has been denounced by major medical organizations including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/conversion-therapy-issue-brief.pdf" target="_blank">American Medical Association</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/sexual-orientation-change#:~:text=Sexual%20orientation%20and%20gender%20identity%20(SOGI)%20change%20efforts%20commonly%20use%20an%20array%20of%20psychosocially%20harmful%20techniques%2C%20including%20public%20shaming%20or%20inducing%20adverse%20physiological%20reactions." target="_blank">American Psychological Association</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/getattachment/3d23f2f4-1497-4537-b4de-fe32fe8761bf/Position-Conversion-Therapy.pdf" target="_blank">American Psychiatric Association</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aacap.org/aacap/Policy_Statements/2018/Conversion_Therapy.aspx#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20based%20on,children%20and%20adolescents" target="_blank">American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>.

“This practice has been used in the past to try to force patients to change their sexual orientation or their gender identity,” Weiser said. “The science, however, says that this practice is harmful. It doesn’t work.

“Regardless of how it’s performed, there can be real harms from this practice. And those harms can include depression, self-hatred, loss of faith, even suicide.”

The key question in the case is whether Colorado’s law regulates professional standards of conduct and speech, or whether it attempts to regulate the right to free speech, said Marie-Amélie George, a legal historian who has published extensively on LGBTQ+ rights and is a professor of law at Wake Forest University School of Law.

“What is really interesting about these laws is that most licensed health professionals don’t offer conversion therapy because professional associations across the board have condemned it as extremely harmful,” George told Stateline. After the mainstream mental health community disavowed efforts to change people’s sexual orientation by the late 1980s, conversion therapy “became primarily the province of religious and lay ministers,” she said.

State laws like Colorado’s don’t restrict clergy and lay ministers from engaging in conversion therapy, she said. They address only the small subset of state-licensed mental health professionals who wish to use it.

In August, attorneys general in 20 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mass.gov/doc/colorado-conversion-therapy-amicus/download" target="_blank">supporting Colorado’s law</a>. They argue the First Amendment doesn’t shield mental health practices from regulation when the state deems them dangerous or ineffective, and that states have a long and established history of regulating professional standards of care.

The decision in this case will probably affect all of the conversion therapy bans in this country.

– Marie-Amélie George, Wake Forest University School of Law professor

Colorado isn’t the only recent battleground over conversion therapy, as conservative majorities in the courts, state legislatures and at the federal level have opened the door for Republican lawmakers and conservative Christian groups to reinstate the practice.

Earlier this year, Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/KY/bill/HB495/2025" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;canceling Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s&nbsp;<a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/09/18/beshear-signs-order-banning-conversion-therapy-on-kentucky-minors/" target="_blank">2024 executive order</a>&nbsp;that banned conversion therapy for minors. Beshear promptly vetoed the bill, but the legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2025/03/27/conversion-therapy-protected-in-kentucky-as-legislature-overrides-beshear-veto/" target="_blank">overrode his veto</a>&nbsp;in March.

In April, a coalition of Republican attorneys general from 11 states, led by Iowa and South Carolina,&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/republican-ags-ask-federal-appeals-panel-to-overturn-michigans-conversion-therapy-ban/" target="_blank">appealed</a>&nbsp;a January decision by a U.S. district court judge to uphold&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2023/07/26/michigan-becomes-22nd-state-to-ban-conversion-therapy-for-lgbtq-youth/" target="_blank">a 2023 Michigan law</a>&nbsp;that’s similar to Colorado’s. It prohibits mental health professionals from trying to alter a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The case began when Catholic Charities of three Michigan counties&nbsp;<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/07/15/lawsuit-seeks-to-overturn-michigans-ban-on-conversion-therapy-for-minors/" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit targeting Michigan’s law in 2024</a>&nbsp;on behalf of a licensed therapist.

In July, a Virginia court partially struck down the state’s 2020 ban on conversion therapy for minors. Republican lawmakers in Michigan introduced a&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/MI/bill/HB4752/2025" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;in July to repeal their state’s ban,&nbsp;while Missouri’s Republican attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/attorney-general-bailey-files-suit-against-jackson-county-to-protect-free-speech-in-counseling-offices/" target="_blank">sued</a>&nbsp;to overturn local conversion therapy bans.

From the mid-1990s until the mid-2010s, LGBTQ+ rights advocates won a lot of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, said George, the Wake Forest professor.

“But in the years since, the Supreme Court has been more hostile to LGBTQ+ rights claims,” she said. “I think, with the political environment of the court, it will be interesting to see what they do given how they have treated other LGBTQ+ rights cases in recent years.

“States are extremely similar in the laws they have enacted, so the decision in this case will probably affect all of the conversion therapy bans in this country.”

Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:avollers@stateline.org">avollers@stateline.org</a>.

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/2025/10/06/conversion-therapy-for-lgbtq-minors-goes-before-the-supreme-court/" target="_blank">Stateline</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

🎧 Conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors goes before the US Supreme Court

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration may try to interpret a law enacted during his first term in office differently than it did following the last government shutdown, potentially denying back pay to hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers.&nbsp;

The change in stance, outlined in a memo from the Office of Management and Budget that was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/07/trump-memo-furloughed-federal-workers-backpay" target="_blank">first reported by Axios</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and confirmed to States Newsroom by a White House official, would drastically change the stakes of the ongoing funding lapse, which began Oct. 1.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump didn’t clearly say how he personally views the law during an afternoon press conference in the Oval Office, though he indicated he doesn’t intend to provide back pay to all federal workers.&nbsp;

“I would say it depends on who we’re talking about,” Trump said. “I can tell you this: the Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy. But it really depends on who you’re talking about. But for the most part we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

Trump said he will likely announce mass layoffs of federal employees in the next week and opened the door to canceling funding approved by Congress if the shutdown persists.&nbsp;

“I’ll be able to tell you that in four or five days if this keeps going on,” Trump said. “If this keeps going on it’ll be substantial and a lot of those jobs will never come back.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759875394137.png" alt="A sign advising that the Capitol Visitors Center in the U.S. Capitol is closed, in Washington, D.C., is pictured on Oct. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>A sign advising that the Capitol Visitors Center in the U.S. Capitol is closed, in Washington, D.C., is pictured on Oct. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — The Trump administration may try to interpret a law enacted during his first term in office differently than it did following the last government shutdown, potentially denying back pay to hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Is it the White House&#39;s position that furloughed workers should be paid for their back-pay?&quot; President Trump: &quot;I would say it depends on who we&#39;re talking about. I can tell you this, the Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy, but it really depends on… <a href="https://t.co/dbftoc2vC2">pic.twitter.com/dbftoc2vC2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1975596357172802032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The change in stance, outlined in a memo from the Office of Management and Budget that was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/07/trump-memo-furloughed-federal-workers-backpay" target="_blank">first reported by Axios</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday and confirmed to States Newsroom by a White House official, would drastically change the stakes of the ongoing funding lapse, which began Oct. 1.&nbsp;President Donald Trump didn’t clearly say how he personally views the law during an afternoon press conference in the Oval Office, though he indicated he doesn’t intend to provide back pay to all federal workers.&nbsp;“I would say it depends on who we’re talking about,” Trump said. “I can tell you this: the Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy. But it really depends on who you’re talking about. But for the most part we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”Trump said he will likely announce mass layoffs of federal employees in the next week and opened the door to canceling funding approved by Congress if the shutdown persists.&nbsp;“I’ll be able to tell you that in four or five days if this keeps going on,” Trump said. “If this keeps going on it’ll be substantial and a lot of those jobs will never come back.”<h2>OPM earlier said workers would receive back pay</h2>Reinterpreting the law would go against&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/reference-materials/guidance-for-shutdown-furloughs-sep-28-2025/?" target="_blank">guidance</a>&nbsp;the Office of Personnel Management released in late September, which stated that after “the lapse in appropriations has ended, employees who were furloughed as the result of the lapse will receive retroactive pay for those furlough periods.”During the 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term, Congress approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/24" target="_blank">a bill</a>&nbsp;titled the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 that guaranteed back pay for both exempt and furloughed federal workers. Trump signed the legislation into law himself.&nbsp;Before the law, Congress typically voted following each funding lapse to ensure back pay for all federal employees.&nbsp;The Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/about-750000-federal-workers-will-be-furloughed-shutdown-nonpartisan-cbo-projects" target="_blank">projected</a>&nbsp;750,000 federal workers would be furloughed in the current shutdown.&nbsp;Democrats on Capitol Hill rebuffed the memo on Tuesday, arguing it is another example of Trump attempting to circumvent the law.&nbsp;“The letter of the law is as plain as can be—federal workers, including furloughed workers, are entitled to their backpay following a shutdown,” Senate Appropriations ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote on social media. “Another baseless attempt to try and scare &amp; intimidate workers by an administration run by crooks and cowards.”Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who represents a considerable number of federal workers, said during a brief interview he doesn’t believe lawmakers need to clarify the law in any way, calling it “crystal clear.”&nbsp;“This is a bill that (former) Senator (Ben) Cardin and I introduced back during that shutdown,” Van Hollen said. “And I looked at it again today after the White House comments, and they’re blowing smoke. This is part of their effort to scare. So this is all part of their fearmongering. That’s what it’s about.”&nbsp;<h2>‘That should turn up the urgency’</h2>Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., asked about the memo during a morning press conference, said he hadn’t seen it or spoken with anyone in the White House, but he didn’t seem to take issue with its change of course.&nbsp;“I’m sure there will be a lot of discussion about that. But there are legal analysts who think that is not something that government should do,” Johnson said. “If that is true, that should turn up the urgency and the necessity of the Democrats doing the right thing here.”&nbsp;Pressed by another reporter about the principle involved with possibly not adhering to the law, Johnson said he hopes that furloughed federal workers do receive their back pay.“I can tell you the president believes that as well. He and I have talked about this personally. He doesn’t want people to go without back pay,” Johnson said. “And that’s why he pleaded with Chuck Schumer to do the right thing and vote to keep the government open. We don’t want this to happen.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759875311575.png" alt="U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s website on Oct. 7, 2025, stating, “Under federal law, employees are entitled to back pay upon the government reopening.” (States Newsroom screenshot)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s website on Oct. 7, 2025, stating, “Under federal law, employees are entitled to back pay upon the government reopening.” (States Newsroom screenshot)</figcaption>
 </figure>Johnson didn’t clarify why — if Trump believes furloughed workers should receive back pay consistent with the 2019 law — the White House budget office prepared a memo stating the opposite.Johnson’s&nbsp;<a href="https://mikejohnson.house.gov/services/government-shutdown.htm" target="_blank">official House website</a>&nbsp;explains that during a shutdown “federal employees will either be furloughed, or in some cases required to work without pay. Under federal law, employees are entitled to back pay upon the government reopening.”Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said during an afternoon press conference he expects furloughed workers will receive their back pay once the shutdown ends.&nbsp;“I haven’t looked at the memo specifically yet. My assumption is that furloughed workers will get back pay,” Thuen said. “But that being said, this is very simple — open up the government and this is a nonissue.”The Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/government-shutdown-enters-day-six-talks-over-health-care-impasse" target="_blank">has deadlocked five times</a>&nbsp;on a stopgap government funding bill that passed the House in mid-September. The upper chamber is expected to vote at least one more time this week.<h2>Democrats call for negotiations on shutdown</h2>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a morning floor speech that Johnson “has become a massive roadblock to progress,” though he didn’t address the possibility of no back pay for furloughed workers.&nbsp;“Ending this shutdown will require Donald Trump to step in and push Speaker Johnson to negotiate because without the president’s involvement, Speaker Johnson and MAGA Republicans in the House are increasingly dug in,” Schumer said.&nbsp;House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, &nbsp;a New York Democrat, said during a morning press conference the White House was incorrect in its new interpretation.&nbsp;“The law is clear — every single furloughed employee is entitled to pay back. Period. Full stop,” Jeffries said. “The law is clear and we will make sure that that law is followed.”American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley wrote in a statement the “frivolous argument that federal employees are not guaranteed backpay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act is an obvious misinterpretation of the law.&nbsp;“It is also inconsistent with the Trump administration’s own guidance from mere days ago, which clearly and correctly states that furloughed employees will receive retroactive pay for the time they were out of work as quickly as possible once the shutdown is over.”&nbsp;Shauneen Miranda and Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.