Good morning, it’s Thursday, October 23, 2025. In today’s edition, shutdown headlines ripple across newspaper pages; North Carolina approves redistricting plans; Sherrill holds 5-point lead in New Jersey:
Top Stories
SHUTDOWN: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said his state will spend $80 million to stock food pantries. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) will ask lawmakers to appropriate $10 million to support food banks through the middle of December and another $7.5 million to cover federal Women, Infants and Children benefits. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) says her state is drawing up contingency plans if the federal shutdown drags on and interrupts food aid. (Pluribus News)
We’re seeing a lot of clips in local papers about the impending interruption in food aid, federal workers missing paychecks and other fallout from the ongoing shutdown.
REDISTRICTING: The North Carolina House gave final approval to new congressional district map lines that virtually guarantee the state sends an additional Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives next year. The measure redraws U.S. Rep. Don Davis’s (D) district from a seat that favored President Trump by a 51% to 48% margin to one that backed Trump 55% to 44%. The bill passed on a party-line vote; state law does not allow Gov. Josh Stein (D) any veto authority on redistricting-related measures. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Illinois Democrats say there is little appetite to redraw state congressional district lines in the face of pressure from U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Jeffries has been pushing a redistricting plan that would give Democrats an additional seat, but Black lawmakers are concerned the effort would dilute their political power. (Capitol News Illinois)
EVEN MORE: Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith (R) is urging the state Senate to redraw maps that would create a 9-0 congressional delegation. (WOWO) Senate Republicans say they don’t have the votes to approve a redistricting plan, though Gov. Mike Braun (R) said Wednesday he’s still having “positive conversations” with the legislature. (State Affairs)
NATIONAL GUARD: A federal judge has extended her stay on the Trump administration’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago indefinitely, setting up a potential U.S. Supreme Court hearing. Judge April Perry’s initial order was to expire tonight. (Capitol News Illinois)
IMMIGRATION: The Trump administration is deploying Customs and Border Protection agents to San Francisco as early as today. Mayor Daniel Lurie (D) signed an executive order to focus on preparations for the deployment, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) urged residents to remain peaceful. (Mission Local, Sacramento Bee)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says he will sign legislation allowing over-the-counter sales of ivermectin, the drug used to treat parasitic disease in horses, dogs and cats. Vaccine skeptics claim the drug can treat Covid, despite a lack of any scientific evidence. (Floridian Press)
MARIJUANA: The Ohio House has approved legislation to license recreational marijuana dispensaries and create a regulatory framework around products. The bill bans public consumption of combustible marijuana or intoxicating hemp products, permits drinks with less than 5 milligrams of THC to be sold in restaurants, and allow residents to home-grow up to six plants per person or 12 plants per household. (State Affairs)
The bill’s prospects don’t look great in the state Senate, however.
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: A Rutgers-Eagleton poll finds U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) leading former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) 50% to 45%. Independents back Sherrill by a 49%-40% margin, and 52% of voters say President Trump is a major factor in their vote decision. (Eagleton Institute)
CALIFORNIA: Backers of Proposition 50, the measure to redraw California’s congressional district lines, have spent nearly $70 million on television and digital ads so far, compared with $31 million spent by opponents. Supporters have an additional $9 million booked through Election Day, while opponents have virtually no time reserved. (Associated Press)
MORE: A new CBS News/YouGov poll finds 62% of likely voters will back Prop. 50, while just 38% are opposed. Among those who support the measure, 75% said they will vote yes to oppose President Trump, and 70% said their vote is about opposing national Republicans. (CBS News)
By The Numbers
$38 trillion: The size of the U.S. national debt, according to a Wednesday report from the Treasury Department. It’s the fastest accumulation of a trillion dollars in debt outside of the Covid pandemic — the debt surpassed $37 trillion in August. (Associated Press)
404,335: The number of early votes cast in New Jersey’s gubernatorial election already, slightly ahead of the pace set in 2021. Of the ballots already in, 63% are from registered Democrats and 22% come from registered Republicans. (New Jersey Globe)
201: The number of wrong-way detection systems installed across Connecticut highways. (WFSB) The systems were installed after the 2023 death of state Rep. Quentin Williams (D), who was killed by a wrong-way driver.
Off The Wall
The Wyoming Department of Transportation is installing new long green lights that resemble Star Wars-esque lightsabers on snowplows. Officials say the switch from blue lights to green is because green is the easiest color for the human eye to perceive, making the plows more visible to drivers. (Cowboy State Daily)
Samuel L. Jackson was unavailable for comment.
The U.S. Navy will commission the USS Utah on Saturday, a new fast-attack submarine that will be the first ship to carry the Beehive State’s name since the battleship USS Utah was sunk in Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ship will carry the registry number SSN-801, the same area code as Salt Lake City. (Fox 13)
Quote of the Day
“I think there is next to zero appetite to do it.”
— An unnamed Illinois House Democrat, on chances that the legislature redraws congressional district boundaries ahead of next year’s elections. (Capitol News Illinois)