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What Happened Today – October 17, 2025

Today, more than one million Americans are expected to protest at events throughout the country.

From an undeclared war in Venezuela to attacks on those who oppose him, Donald Trump has learned what rules he can ignore backed by an enabling Congress and compliant Supreme Court.

There’s little choice when the White House punishes areas that didn’t vote for him by cutting education, healthcare, and even food assistance. We can’t afford to only protest once a month.

Please get to an event today. Use that time and those people to plan what you’ll do tomorrow: organize, pressure representatives, build networks. Because if we just watch football and rake leaves, the next events will be even harder. Military troops are in and around our cities tonight to enforce Trump’s will.

Don’t leave truth to the algorithm. Our free and private nightly email arms you with images, data, and quotes so you can see it all for yourself. Add your email at govbrief dot today or on Substack at Gov Brief Today.

#GovBriefToday #Resist

🟠 GovBrief Intensity Score 119
Heated day. Volume above normal.
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Today's Quote
Democrats do NOT serve the interests of the American people. Hakeem Jeffries is an America Last, stone-cold loser. Now open up the government and stop simping to try to get your radical left-wing base to like you.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on X, October 18, 2025
Yesterday's Most Read

Two people arrested in July 4 shooting outside Texas immigration detention center now face terrorism charges under Trump's designation of antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

Today’s GovBrief News


Extremism 1 of 22

New York Republican State Committee disbands its Young Republicans group after leaked messages show members using racial slurs and joking about gas chambers.

Kansas group also disbanded

Source: BBC

October 17, 2025

Dissent 2 of 22

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff apologizes for supporting Trump sending National Guard to San Francisco after investor Ron Conway resigns from Salesforce Foundation board over the comments.

Conway donated $500K to Harris

Source: CNBC

October 17, 2025

Disaster Relief 3 of 22

Typhoon Halong destroyed 90% of homes in one Alaska village and displaced over 2,000 people who cannot return for at least 18 months, as Trump administration cuts to weather monitoring made forecasts less accurate.

121 of 134 homes destroyed

Source: CBS News

October 17, 2025

Foreign Relations 4 of 22

Trump says Maduro offered concessions including access to Venezuela's natural resources to avoid U.S. military action, adding "he doesn't want to fuck around with the United States."

27 killed in Caribbean strikes

Source: The Financial Times

October 17, 2025

Health 5 of 22

Obamacare premiums rise 18% for 2026 as enhanced subsidies expire, with a 60-year-old Kentucky couple facing $23,700 more in annual costs and millions potentially losing coverage.

2 million people may lose insurance

Source: The New York Times (gift link)

October 17, 2025

Voting Rights 6 of 22

Trump joins call with Indiana Senate Republicans urging mid-decade redistricting to eliminate the state's two Democratic U.S. House seats and help Republicans maintain majority.

53% of Hoosiers oppose redistricting

Source: Fox 59 Indianapolis

October 17, 2025

Censorship 7 of 22

Indiana Univ. fires student newspaper adviser after he refuses order to remove news stories, then ends all print publication as the paper covered sensitive stories about the president and campus safety.

$400,000+ donations restricted from use

Source: The Associated Press

October 17, 2025

Military 8 of 22

Shelby County Mayor and local leaders sue Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee over National Guard deployment to Memphis, arguing it violates state constitution limiting the Guard's use as a domestic police force.

1,000+ arrests since deployment

Source: Fox 13 Memphis

October 17, 2025

Military 9 of 22

Trump asks Supreme Court to allow deployment of 700 federalized National Guard troops to Chicago after appeals court blocked the deployment while still allowing federalization.

300 Illinois, 400 Texas troops

Source: Roll Call

October 17, 2025

Military 10 of 22

Trump confirms U.S. military strike on alleged drug submarine killed two people and left two survivors now held on a Navy ship, the first known prisoners in his undeclared war on Venezuela.

27 killed across 6 strikes

Source: CBC

October 17, 2025

Courts 11 of 22

Federal courts run out of funding Monday and will furlough staff after exhausting court fees and non-appropriated funds during the three-week shutdown.

94 district, 13 circuit courts affected

Source: Axios

October 17, 2025

Criminal Justice 12 of 22

Trump commutes George Santos's seven-year prison sentence three months into his term for wire fraud and identity theft convictions.

2 convictions on 23 charges

Source: NPR

October 17, 2025

Criminal Justice 13 of 22

Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Virginia fires two more top prosecutors who resisted bringing charges against Letitia James without evidence.

4 prosecutors fired this month

Source: ABC News

October 17, 2025

Immigration 14 of 22

DHS deports Marine's father after arresting him on base and misidentifying him.

30+ year resident

Source: NBC San Diego

October 17, 2025

Immigration 15 of 22

Federal agents raid outside Manhattan migrant shelter, detaining 10 people and briefly holding a 12-year-old boy before releasing non-Venezuelans.

First raid targeting shelter

Source: The City

October 17, 2025

Education 16 of 22

University of Virginia rejects Trump's Compact for Academic Excellence, which offered preferential research funding for screening international students for "American and Western values."

5 universities declined, 0 accepted

Source: The Cavalier Daily

October 17, 2025

Federal Personnel 17 of 22

Federal judge expands restraining order blocking shutdown firings to cover employees in unions the government stopped recognizing after Trump's executive order ending representation.

Interior plans 68 more cuts

Source: Federal News Network

October 17, 2025

Federal Personnel 18 of 22

National Nuclear Security Administration will furlough 80% of staff managing U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile as shutdown funding runs out Saturday.

1,400 of 1,775 employees furloughed

Source: Politico

October 17, 2025

Federal Personnel 19 of 22

Trump administration pauses $11 billion in Army Corps of Engineers projects in New York, San Francisco, Baltimore and Boston as shutdown pressures Democratic cities.

$29 billion frozen in Dem areas

Source: CBS News

October 17, 2025

Propaganda 20 of 22

National Republican Senatorial Committee releases deepfake video of Chuck Schumer robotically repeating his real quote about Democrats' shutdown strategy.

Trump also posts AI deepfakes

Source: The Guardian

October 17, 2025

Propaganda 21 of 22

White House joins Bluesky with a compilation video of past trolling moments including their earlier doctored image of Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero and fake mustache.

39 million users, mostly left-leaning

Source: ABC News

October 17, 2025

Fighting Back 22 of 22

Pennsylvania requires health insurers to cover COVID-19 vaccines without cost-sharing through 2026 after CDC dropped universal recommendation following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s committee purge.

8 states coordinating policy

Source: The Pennsylvania Capital-Star

October 17, 2025