Political Landscape & Executive Power - The Trump administration is considering invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law from 1807, granting the president emergency powers against rebellion, to deploy the military in Democratic-run cities [1][3][4] - The administration attempts to portray Democrats as insurrectionists to justify additional military deployments [3][6] - A court order is currently blocking military deployments to Portland, and a judge in Illinois is considering blocking a similar deployment to Chicago [8] - Attorney General Pam Bondi faced accusations of using the DOJ as a political weapon against rivals, dodging questions about White House consultations [9][10][11] Government Shutdown & Federal Workers - The White House is threatening to withhold back pay from furloughed federal workers, potentially circumventing current law [2][37] - Republicans are defending the president's authority to fire workers during a shutdown [38] - A draft White House memo suggests furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay, despite a 2019 law requiring it [37] - The shutdown could lead to the closure of Smithsonian museums and research institutions, and potentially federal courts [48] - Funding for the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Assistance Program could lapse by the end of the month, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could be affected on November 1st [48][49] Middle East Peace Negotiations - Negotiations are underway in Egypt to discuss the implementation of President Trump's 20-point peace plan between Israel and Hamas [2][70] - The plan requires Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages and Israel to end the war and withdraw from most of Gaza [70] - Hamas supports the peace negotiations but insists on guarantees that Israel will stop its attacks on Gaza [72][73] - The war is still ongoing, with disputes about the pace and scale of the Israeli military withdrawal [74] - Hamas is being vague about handing over its weapons and relinquishing control of Gaza, pending an alternative Palestinian leadership and security forces [75] Affordable Care Act (ACA) & Midterm Elections - Expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies are central to the shutdown fight, with Democrats demanding an extension [99] - Polling shows extending those credits is popular with majorities of Americans across all parties [99] - The ACA subsidies are set to expire this year, potentially causing out-of-pocket premiums to rise [49] - Democrats lead the generic ballot by three points, suggesting they are not at the point of a "blue wave" like in Trump's first midterm [130] - Republicans have a 41% favorable rating, while Democrats have a 35% favorable rating [132]

Senator Sheldon White House, Democrat who has represented Rhode Island in the Senate since 2007, joins me now. Thank you for your patience. Appreciate you coming on the show.That is sort of the tenor of what we heard in response to a lot of your questions. Did you get any of the answers you were looking for, Senator. And if not, can you actually hold Pam Bondi accountable.The answer is no. And it's a particularly unfortunate no because they were super simple factual questions as to which the department has ...

Government Shutdown & Potential Financial Impact - The US government is in its sixth day of a shutdown, with no immediate resolution in sight [1] - Goldman Sachs suggests that the October 15th payday for 13 million members of the armed services could force a compromise in Congress to avoid missed paychecks [4] - The Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies to determine potential layoffs if the shutdown continues [4] National Guard Deployment & Legal Challenges - State and local officials are resisting the president's attempts to deploy National Guard troops to major American cities [5] - A federal judge initially declined to block the deployment of troops to Chicago, pending a full hearing [5] - The state of Illinois, led by Governor JB Pritsker, has filed a lawsuit accusing ICE of targeting families and protesters [6] - A federal judge blocked the deployment of the National Guard to Portland, stating that the protests were not significantly violent or disruptive [9] Insurrection Act & Presidential Authority - The Trump administration is accused of escalating violence to create a pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act [7] - The president stated he would enact the Insurrection Act if necessary, citing violence and obstruction by courts or governors [8] - The president views the deployment of troops as a template for the whole country, potentially as a training ground for the US military in cities [12]

Well, you have been forced to, General Bont. I mean, this is supposed to be a conversation about Oregon. Let's talk about how it is that you ended up here and just how annoyed this judge, a Trump appointee, seems to be about the fact that she needed to rule on this, not once but twice.The judge was annoyed and um AG Rayfield had things in hand with a temporary restraining order secured on Saturday, but uh Trump tried again uh in violation certainly of the spirit of that order by deploying 300 California Nat ...

Joining us now, MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin. MSNBC senior political and national correspondent Jacob Soberof, who was at the governor's office in downtown Chicago, where Governor Pritsker is about to speak at a news conference, retired fourstar general and MSNBC military analyst Barry McAffrey, and presidential historian and professor of history at Rice University, Douglas Brinkley. Um, Doug, because we started with history, I'm going to begin with you.Talk to me about h what the nation was like ba ...

Let's bring in Democratic Congressman Chris Duzio from Pennsylvania, member of the Armed Services Committee. Congressman, we just played Speaker Johnson saying he's working in good faith with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but he's canceled votes. He's keeping the House out of session for another week.Practically speaking, what is getting done. >> Well, as you just said it, Speaker Johnson canceled votes this week and last. The Republicans have full control.The House, the Senate, the White House. The ...

Political Landscape & Power Dynamics - Republican governors from West Virginia, Ohio, and South Carolina are deploying National Guard troops to Washington DC, with defense officials reversing their stance to arm many of these troops [1] - Across the country, Americans are protesting against what they perceive as a power grab by Texas Republicans, specifically a gerrymandering plan aimed at securing Republican control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections [2] - The Democratic National Committee organized "Fight the Trump Takeover" protests in 43 states, with significant demonstrations in Texas, Chicago, and Austin [3] - The administration is perceived to want US troops to be responsible for law enforcement in Washington DC, potentially circumventing home rule and local police force control [8][9][10] Potential Expansion of Federal Power - There is concern that the arming of National Guard troops signals an intention to replace local police forces with federal troops [11][13] - The president might invoke other emergency powers to expand the federal presence in cities [12] - The president wants to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the use of the US military for civilian law enforcement on US soil [27][28] Political Motivations & Approval Ratings - The deployment of troops is viewed by some as an "authoritarian spectacle" to deflect from the president's mounting scandals and weakening political position [20][21] - The president's approval rating is at 37%, close to his post-January 6 low of 34% [20] - The president's high approval ratings among Republicans, particularly MAGA Republicans (high 80s, low 90s), are a key factor in his decision-making [23][25] States' Rights & Political Hypocrisy - Critics point out the apparent inconsistency of Republicans advocating for states' rights while simultaneously supporting federal intervention in Democrat-led cities [17][18] - 13 of the 20 US cities with the highest homicide rates are in Republican states, yet the focus is on Democrat-run cities [19]

Government Intervention & Public Safety - The government is currently focused on maintaining safety in California [1] - The government expresses hope that the situation will get under control, potentially through measures like curfews [2] - The government is prepared to take further action if necessary to ensure safety in California [1] Contingency Planning - The government is ready to intervene if the California state government is unable to provide adequate safety [2] - The government is not afraid to take further action if the current measures are insufficient [1]

What would you have done if the president of the United States posed this option to you, not only deploying National Guard troops around the authority of a sitting governor, but in fact deploying active duty U.S. Marines to an American city. Well, if the president had actually asked me when I was a governor about deploying National Guard or active duty military, I would have first said, let's assess the situation and whether my law enforcement and civilian law enforcement has the capacity and capability to ...

First Amendment Rights & Peaceful Protest - Individuals have an absolute right to speak out and protest, but it is vitally important to do so peacefully, avoiding violence or destruction of property [3][4] - The success of Martin Luther King Jr was attributed to mass demonstrations with insisted discipline among the people engaged in those demonstrations [3] Government Overreach & Authoritarianism - The administration is potentially provoking citizens to elicit a response that would justify invoking the Insurrection Act and declaring martial law [1][2] - There is concern that the president is attempting to manufacture an excuse to act in an authoritarian and unconstitutional manner by falsely claiming a violent rebellion or insurrection [10] - The president's actions, such as threatening to jail political opponents and misusing the justice system, resemble authoritarianism [23][24][25][26][27][28] Insurrection Act & Definition - The president mentioned invoking the Insurrection Act to deal with situations, potentially in California [5] - The definition of insurrection involves a violent uprising against established authority or government, with organization and sometimes armed individuals aiming to overthrow or change the existing power [6][7] - It is argued that what is currently happening does not constitute an insurrection, as it lacks the elements of a violent uprising [7][8][9] Legal & Judicial Concerns - California sought relief against guard deployments, aiming to prevent the use of Marines and federalized National Guard to enforce immigration and civil laws [11][12] - There is disappointment that the petition for emergency relief was denied, as the harm could become irreparable if action is delayed [13][14][15] - The federal judiciary is criticized for presuming regularity and good faith from the president, despite evidence to the contrary [16][17][18]