Cupich said that he does not believe the moment has yet come for him to intervene directly and that he would speak publicly only if Fuentes began invoking the church’s authority to legitimize his views. “I think that it would be a real stretch for anyone to make the case that Catholics believe this kind of thing,” Cupich said. “I think that if someone needs to be called out in a public way, especially if they’re using as a basis for their pronouncements their association with the Catholic Church, then I think there would be a moment for me to say something about that. I’ll just continue to watch that.” RELATED: Catholic bishops tied to Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission voice criticism of administration It is not only Catholics who are influenced by Fuentes, but those who follow him, no matter their faith, often speak as if Fuentes’ beliefs, and his willingness to discuss them, override their own faith stands. Jonah, a 28-year-old Orthodox Christian from Tennessee who asked that his last name be withheld for safety concerns, said he discovered Fuentes two years ago through short Instagram clips. Jonah believes that many of Fuentes’ followers aren’t especially religious but said they might still be more inclined to trust Fuentes’ views because of his faith. “A lot of people who follow him are maybe not practicing Christians, but they agree with Christian values and stuff,” Jonah said. “I tend to gravitate to people who share the same faith as I do because you’re standing on more solid ground than if you’re coming at things from a non-Christian perspective.” Asked whether he believes Fuentes is racist or antisemitic, Jonah said no. “I just think there’s a lot of outside influence when it comes to the way that he’s perceived,” he said. “If it was true racism, it would contradict my religious beliefs. I think that he’s genuine, and he comes out of a place of truth. And when it comes to his Christian views, I believe that he’s being authentic.” Aleja McCain-Hertzler contributed to this story.
https://religionnews.com/2025/11/19/nick-fuentes-and-the-groyper-challenge-to-catholicism/
Tag Archives: representatives
Florida Supreme Court justice resigning to take job at UF
TALLAHASSEE The longest-serving current member of the Florida Supreme Court, Justice Charles Canady, is leaving the bench to join the University of Florida as director of the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education. Canady whose wife, state Rep. Jennifer Canady, is in line to become state House speaker in 2028 announced his departure Monday, calling it a “great privilege to serve the people of Florida as a justice” for the past 17 years. “I will always deeply value my years on the court. But the time has come to move on to another position of public service,” Canady, 71, said in the statement, adding that he will begin as director and a tenured professor at the Hamilton School in 2026. Canady’s departure will give Gov. Ron DeSantis who has appointed five of the seven current justices an opportunity to name a replacement. Canady was appointed in August 2008 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, who months later appointed Justice Jorge Labarga. Canady, who served as chief justice three times, is a Lakeland native and former lawmaker. Canady served in the state House from 1984 until 1990 and was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1992. He served four terms in Congress before deciding not to seek reelection in 2000, after promising not to serve more than eight years. He returned to Florida and joined former Gov. Jeb Bush’s administration as general counsel. Bush appointed Canady to the 2nd District Court of Appeal, where he worked until Crist tapped him for the Supreme Court. Crist at the time was a Republican but later became a Democrat. For years, Canady and other conservatives frequently dissented on what was a liberal-leaning court. But that changed with DeSantis’ conservative remake of the court that started in 2019, after the mandatory retirements of former Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis. As a lawmaker, Canady earned a reputation as a conservative, including as an outspoken opponent of abortion. Canady is even credited with coining the politically charged term “partial birth abortion” and writing the original legislation that attempted to ban the practice while he was in Congress. Canady also was a key player in one of the most partisan moments in modern American history, helping prosecute former President Bill Clinton during the president’s 1999 impeachment trial. Canady’s wife, Jennifer, was elected to the state House in 2022 and is on track to become speaker after the 2028 elections. Charles Canady was born into a politically connected Polk County family his father, Charles E. Canady, was a longtime aide to the late Sen. and Gov. Lawton Chiles. Canady’s appointment to the Hamilton School will fulfill an old flirtation of pursuing a career in academia, which he abandoned after attending law school. “I had an interest in political science and I thought about pursuing an academic career in that arena, but I didn’t quite have the passion for that that I thought would be necessary to do that. The law seemed to be always what I came back to,” Canady told The News Service of Florida in a 2010 interview in advance of his first stint as chief justice. “And I’m very glad that I did. I have never one day in my life as a lawyer regretted my decision to become a lawyer.” At the time, Canady said his political past had not shaped his outlook as a judge but might have given him a particularly strong appreciation for the separation of powers. “My approach to deciding cases is I look at the law, I look at the facts and I do my best to apply the law to the facts and make a decision based on the law and the facts,” he said. Canady will be able to flex his conservative credentials at the Hamilton School, which is part of Republican state leaders’ efforts to replace such things as diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with more traditional instruction. The school is “leading a higher education revolution,” according to its website. “Now more than ever, the world needs critical thinkers filled with fresh ideas and the courage to ask bigger questions. At the Hamilton School, we prepare you to think deeply, explore widely, speak with conviction, and lead with purpose,” the website says. “Our world-class researchers, who are just as passionate about mentoring students, teach the ideas and habits of thought that founded our country and sustain our free society.”.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/17/florida-supreme-court-justice-resigning-to-take-job-at-uf/
Acadia is winding down for winter just as the government might reopen
Though the federal shutdown could soon end, operations at Acadia National Park are expected to continue winding down for the winter.
The U.S. House of Representatives was expected to meet Wednesday to vote on ending the 43-day-long shutdown, but winter weather has taken precedence over the potential reopening of Maine’s only national park. On Veterans Day, snow led the park to close Summit Road on Cadillac Mountain, according to the park’s website.
Acadia does not require reservations for driving up the summit starting in November, but how late in the season the road remains open depends on weather conditions. The road may reopen before the end of the month if warmer weather melts away the ice and snow; however, it is typically closed for the winter each December 1.
Despite the shutdown, Acadia was busy in early October when the tourist season was still in full swing. Some facilities were closed due to reduced staffing caused by the shutdown, but popular attractions such as the summit of Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and the Jordan Pond House remained open.
The fare-free Island Explorer Bus System, which is operated by the nonprofit group Downeast Transportation, also continued to operate during the shutdown.
Visitation to Acadia has been high this year and was on pace to exceed four million visits for only the second time ever, after first surpassing four million in 2021. The park recorded its highest number of visits for any month in July 2023, then broke that record in August.
However, the park has not released monthly visit estimates for September (before the shutdown went into effect on October 1) and has not been collecting visitation data since that date. As a result, visitation estimates for October are not expected.
Typically, visitation drops sharply in November, although the park never fully closes for the winter. The Ocean Drive section of Park Loop Road usually remains open to vehicles year-round, as do the park’s hiking trails. Additionally, the Schoodic Loop Road in the Schoodic section of the park, located on the east side of Frenchman Bay, is open throughout the winter.
The Visitors’ Center in Hulls Cove will remain closed regardless of shutdown developments, as it normally closes at the end of October. The Sieur de Monts Nature Center and the Rockefeller Welcome Center at Schoodic Point are also not expected to reopen until next spring.
Park campgrounds shut down each October, and facilities run by concession companies—including the Jordan Pond House, the Thunder Hole Gift Shop, and Wildwoods Stables—have also closed for the winter season.
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/11/12/hancock/hancock-government/acadia-winter-operations-wind-down-n6hjn1me0n/
U.S. House to Vote on Ending Record Shutdown
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on November 12, 2025, to end the 42-day government shutdown, following the Senate’s recent approval of the funding bill. This legislative move is a crucial step toward restoring full government operations and could have significant effects on various markets, including the burgeoning cryptocurrency sector.
### U.S. House Vote Today: Impact on Crypto ETFs
After the Senate passed the bill to end the prolonged government shutdown, the measure was sent to the House for a vote scheduled for tonight. This development is closely watched by investors and industry insiders alike, as a government reopening may accelerate key decisions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). One anticipated outcome is the potential for “batch approvals” of spot cryptocurrency ETFs, which could trigger a fresh wave of institutional fund inflows into the crypto market.
John Thune, Senate Majority Leader, emphasized the bipartisan effort behind the legislation, stating,
“Our bipartisan efforts in the Senate will ensure we advance the funding bill swiftly.”
Institutional voices, such as Swiss bank Sygnum, have expressed optimism about the potential benefits a government reopening could bring—particularly regarding expedited SEC approvals for crypto ETFs. However, notable industry leaders have yet to issue major statements on the matter, leaving market sentiment largely speculative at this stage.
### Potential Market Shifts with SEC ETF Decisions
Historically, SEC approvals of cryptocurrency ETFs have had a tangible impact on market dynamics. For example, the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs in 2023 sparked significant price rallies, demonstrating the influence such endorsements can have on investor confidence and asset valuations.
Currently, XRP is priced at $2.40, boasting a market capitalization of $144.50 billion and holding a 4.17% market dominance. According to data from CoinMarketCap, XRP experienced a 4.65% price decline over the last 24 hours, despite a 9.59% increase over the past week. Its 24-hour trading volume stands at $4.36 billion, marking a decrease of 30.40%. As of November 12, 2025, XRP’s circulating supply totals 60.11 billion.
These fluctuations underscore the ongoing volatility that investors are closely monitoring amid the broader market anticipation surrounding government actions and SEC decisions.
### Cryptocurrencies Potentially Affected
The reopening of the government and subsequent SEC actions could notably impact various altcoins, such as XRP, DOT, DOGE, SUI, and LINK. Increased institutional inflows following ETF approvals may enhance liquidity and drive market interest across these digital assets.
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Stay tuned for further updates as the U.S. House casts its vote and the SEC’s forthcoming decisions continue to shape the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/u-s-house-to-vote-on-ending-record-shutdown/
USD/JPY revisits almost nine-month high near 154.50 as Japanese Yen underperforms
The USD/JPY pair revisited 154.40 during the European trading session on Tuesday, marking the highest level seen in almost nine months. The currency pair demonstrated notable strength as the Japanese Yen (JPY) faced selling pressure amid receding hopes of additional interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) in the near term.
On Monday, Japan’s economic adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Takuji Aida, warned that it would be “risky” for the BoJ to raise interest rates in December. Aida further added, “It would be more feasible for the BoJ to raise rates in January, if it can foresee the economy achieving solid growth in fiscal 2026.”
The diminishing expectations for further BoJ rate hikes have weighed heavily on the Japanese Yen. Market participants have been skeptical about the BoJ tightening monetary policy further ever since Sanae Takaichi assumed office as Japan’s Prime Minister. She is widely viewed as following former PM Shinzo Abe’s economic principles, which favored higher public spending.
Looking ahead, investors will turn their attention to the upcoming Producer Price Index (PPI) data for October, scheduled for release on Friday. This data is expected to provide insights into inflationary pressures in Japan’s economy.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) traded marginally lower, with the US Dollar Index (DXY) ticking down to near 99.55 during the European session. The USD Index remained broadly sideways following the approval of the government funding bill in the United States Senate, which has now moved on to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Going forward, investors will focus on a range of US economic releases that had been delayed due to the recent government shutdown. These upcoming reports will play a crucial role in shaping market expectations regarding the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy outlook.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/usd-jpy-revisits-almost-nine-month-high-near-154-50-as-japanese-yen-underperforms/
Top 2 Things That Could Pump Crypto Market This Week
The Crypto Market Shows Signs of Recovery Amid Key Upcoming Events
The crypto market is showing promising signs of recovery as several key factors contribute to renewed investor confidence. This week features two major events that have the potential to uplift the crypto sphere significantly.
### Government Shutdown Ends, Potential Boost for Crypto
The recent resolution of the U.S. government shutdown could restore some credibility to the economy, encouraging increased investment in digital assets. After 40 days of the government being partially closed since October 1, the U.S. Senate enacted a compromise measure to end the shutdown. Following intensive weekend deliberations, a few Democrats crossed party lines to join Republicans, securing a 60-vote majority in favor of funding the government.
While this is a major breakthrough, the deal still needs approval from the House of Representatives before federal operations can fully resume. The agreement also includes a plan for a December vote to extend healthcare subsidies—a priority for Democrats—which are set to expire this year.
The shutdown had wide-ranging impacts, including disruptions in air travel and leaving approximately 1.4 million federal workers without pay, along with millions of low-income Americans affected by halted food benefits. The negotiation led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic senators offers hope for ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history, which could serve as a catalyst for a crypto market rally this week.
### Federal Budget Data and Market Sentiment
Adding to the market’s momentum is the upcoming release of the Federal Budget Balance data, scheduled for Thursday. This report will provide critical insight into the government’s financial status by revealing trends in revenue and expenditure, which could influence Treasury yields.
An increase in Treasury yields might trigger capital shifts toward riskier assets like cryptocurrencies, potentially boosting market performance. Complementing this, nine Federal Reserve speaker events are slated throughout the week, which may further sway market sentiment and investor behavior.
### Additional Economic Events to Watch
According to a recent post by KobeissiLetter, investors should also keep an eye on several economic indicators this week:
– **Monday:** Response to the 2,000 tariff dividend
– **Tuesday:** Publication of the NFIB Small Business Index
– **Wednesday:** Release of the OPEC Monthly Report
Together, these events suggest another week of potential volatility across financial markets.
### Crypto Market Performance Snapshot
The crypto market capitalization has surged by 4%, reaching $3.57 trillion over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin’s price has hovered above $106,000, while Ethereum has been recovering steadily. Other altcoins, including Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Cardano, have shown signs of recovery, reflecting growing investor confidence.
With prices climbing rapidly in recent weeks, the overall trend appears positive. However, many investors are asking whether this upward momentum can be sustained in the days ahead.
### Conclusion
The conclusion of the government shutdown and the release of important economic data this week could act as significant drivers for further growth in the crypto market. Investors will be watching these developments closely to gauge whether the market can maintain its current pace.
Stay tuned for ongoing updates as the situation evolves.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/crypto/top-2-things-that-could-pump-crypto-market-this-week/
Renowned restaurant chain closes after being targeting by anti-Israel protests
**Plant-Based Kosher Chain Shouk Closes Permanently Amid Protests and Boycotts**
Shouk, a plant-based kosher street-food chain based in Washington, D.C., has permanently shut down its final locations this month. The closures come after two years of protests and boycotts led by anti-Israel activists, which significantly impacted the business.
Once celebrated by the Food Network and *The Washington Post* for its popular “Shouk Burger,” the chain operated five stores across the region. However, local activist group DC for Palestine spearheaded a boycott campaign alleging that Shouk’s falafel and other menu items “appropriated” Palestinian cuisine. The group also accused the owners of being “complicit in Israeli apartheid.”
Dennis Friedman, a Jewish American co-owner who, along with Israeli partner Ran Nussbacher, opened the first Shouk location over a decade ago, rejected these accusations. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Friedman emphasized that Shouk’s mission was to bring people together.
“I don’t agree with that because the intention of Shouk was pure and good,” Friedman said. “When my business partner came to me, it wasn’t ‘let’s make Israeli food.’ He wanted to make plant-based food that reminded him of his childhood and home. That was the core of where we started to build the recipes.”
Friedman explained that Shouk has primarily been promoted as a Mediterranean, plant-based, and Middle Eastern restaurant. “Very rarely have we claimed anything else. That’s why Shouk is written in both Arabic and Hebrew in all the stores because we are a place to bring everyone together.”
He described Shouk as “a gathering place for people of all races, colors, and creeds to come together to enjoy food” that is good for customers and the planet alike.
The co-owner noted that their Georgetown location was the first target of protests, citing its proximity to Georgetown University and the area’s “heavy Muslim population.” Friedman said business was thriving before October 7, but protests quickly began to damage their income.
“We reached out to local business groups and representatives and hired security outside our stores,” Friedman said, describing the experience of being harassed by protesters over the past two years as “scary and unnerving.”
He recounted some disturbing incidents: “We had everything from little children coming into the store during a busy lunch screaming ‘Free Palestine’ while their parents videoed for social media.”
Friedman called the protests part of a “very coordinated” and effective effort by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to hurt Shouk.
“There were posters of dead baby Palestinian children on the windows or on our seating outside. It ranged from vandalism to intimidation to maybe things that we don’t even know,” he added.
Reflecting on Shouk’s 12-year run, Friedman called it an “amazing experience” beyond his “wildest dreams.” He said the business was “near and dear” to his heart, and stressed that he and Nussbacher made every effort to support their employees throughout the closures.
“Most of our staff have been with us since we opened,” Friedman said. “Our turnover was very low because we ran the company ethically, we ran it well, and we ran it fairly. So our staff became part of our family, and they didn’t want to leave.”
Shouk closed its last locations just days before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was reached.
DC for Palestine celebrated the closures as a “BDS win” in an Instagram post, writing:
“Shouk WAS one of the main targets of our ‘APARTHEID? I DON’T BUY IT’ consumer boycott initiative! Much of what they served was Palestinian food that they culturally appropriated as ‘Israeli street food.’ Additionally, they imported Israeli ingredients for their dishes. TODAY WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT, AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2025, SHOUK HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS, PERMANENTLY!”
The group urged supporters to continue boycotting U.S. and local businesses that sell Israeli products.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/24/business/israeli-restaurant-chain-closes-after-getting-hit-by-gaza-protests/
Jack Smith, in a Stunning Move, Offers To Testify Under Oath About His Prosecutions of Trump
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request to testify before Congress underscores his intention to pull no punches as he defends his legacy against a growing Republican onslaught.
President Trump has declared, in the presence of Attorney General Pam Bondi, that “deranged Jack Smith in my opinion is a criminal.” Mr. Smith’s willingness to speak under oath came Thursday in a letter written by his lawyers to Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Jim Jordan, the chairmen of the Judiciary Committees in the Senate and House of Representatives.
That could set up a high-stakes reckoning of Mr. Smith’s two unsuccessful prosecutions of Mr. Trump. The special counsel’s desire to tell Congress and the nation his account of two of the highest-profile cases in American history comes as his record has come under escalating scrutiny.
Mr. Jordan has summoned him to answer for the “prosecutorial misconduct and constitutional abuses of his office.” Meanwhile, Mr. Grassley has expressed outrage over “Operation Arctic Frost,” Mr. Smith’s inquiry into the events of January 6. As part of that probe, the prosecutor acquired telephone data of Republican lawmakers.
The prosecutor’s attorneys, Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer of the Covington & Burling firm, wrote: “Given the many mischaracterizations of Mr. Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Mr. Smith respectfully requests the opportunity to testify in open hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.”
Mr. Smith contends that he has, throughout his career, “steadfastly adhered to established legal standards and Department of Justice guidelines.”
However, Mr. Grassley appears hesitant to offer Mr. Smith a platform just yet. He told CNN, “Jack Smith certainly has a lot of answering to do, but first, Congress needs to have all the facts at its disposal. Hearings should follow once the investigative foundation has been firmly set.”
While the special counsel appears ready to talk, his lawyers are insisting on ground rules and guardrails. They write, “Mr. Smith is prepared to answer questions about the Special Counsel’s investigation and prosecution, but requires assurance from the Department of Justice that he will not be punished for doing so.”
This suggests that they are seeking some form of immunity, possibly prompted by the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey for lying to Congress.
Mr. Smith also requests “guidance from the Department of Justice regarding federal grand jury secrecy requirements and authorization on the matters he may speak to regarding, among other things, Volume II of the Final Report of the Special Counsel, which is not publicly available.”
The release of that second volume, which covers the Mar-a-Lago prosecution, was blocked by Judge Aileen Cannon. Mr. Smith’s report on the January 6 case, which insists that he possessed the evidence to convict Mr. Trump, was released by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Congressman Jamie Raskin, a critic of Mr. Trump, quickly wrote his own letter to Mr. Jordan urging him to accept Mr. Smith’s offer. “I can think of no reason to deny the American people the opportunity to hear his testimony, under oath and with questioning from Members of both parties, and to let all Americans judge for themselves the integrity of Mr. Smith’s investigations,” Raskin stated.
The special counsel’s request to address Congress in an open hearing adds to an emerging strategy of publicly defending his record and criticizing Mr. Trump.
Last month, he delivered a keynote address at George Mason University where he said, “What I see happening at the Department of Justice today saddens me and angers me.” He also defended the DOJ employees who have been fired by Ms. Bondi, which include his entire team.
Mr. Smith followed that denunciation with an appearance in Britain alongside paid MSNBC contributor Andrew Weissmann, a fierce foe of the president who was Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s top deputy.
During the same Oval Office diatribe in which he called Mr. Smith a “criminal,” Mr. Trump declared, “I hope they are going to look into Weissmann, too. Weissmann’s a bad guy. There was tremendous criminal activity.”
Mr. Smith told Mr. Weissmann in respect of the DOJ that “Nothing like what we see now has ever gone on,” and blasted as “absolutely ludicrous” the accusation that his prosecutions of Mr. Trump were politically motivated.
The special counsel wrote in his final report that the “claim from Mr. Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.”
Mr. Smith is also facing scrutiny from the Trump administration over whether his all-fired rush to prosecute Mr. Trump before the 2024 presidential election violated the Hatch Act. That federal law prohibits federal employees from undertaking political activity intended to influence elections.
No prosecutor has ever been found to violate its prohibition, which is a civil offense.
https://www.nysun.com/article/jack-smith-in-a-stunning-move-offers-to-testify-under-oath-about-his-prosecutions-of-trump
‘Under siege’: Inside Trump’s comprehensive plan to steal 2026 midterms
Both times he was inaugurated—January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2025—President Donald Trump entered the White House with Republican majorities in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Democratic strategists are hopeful that the 2026 midterms will play out similarly to the 2018 midterms, which saw Democrats flipping the House with a net gain of 40 seats.
Some Democrats have argued that the 2018 “blue wave” in Congress’ lower chamber could have been even larger if House districts had not been so heavily gerrymandered. It remains to be seen what will happen in 2026, but Trump is clearly hoping that next year’s midterms won’t be a repeat of 2018.
In an op-ed published by MSNBC on October 23, Symone D. Sanders Townsend—who co-hosts MSNBC’s *The Weeknight* with Alicia Menendez—alongside former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele, argues that although Trump faces some major disadvantages going into the 2026 midterms, he has devised a comprehensive game plan to try to steal the election.
Townsend warns, “As part of a broad, multi-state effort by allies of President Donald Trump, Republicans in North Carolina have taken the dramatic step to try to redraw their already gerrymandered congressional districts five years before the normal end-of-decade cycle. The goal is to secure one more Republican U.S. House seat in a desperate attempt to hang onto the House majority and protect Trump from political consequences. Keep in mind, this map was already unfairly drawn up.”
She continues, “The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave it an ‘F,’ with only one competitive district, ten safe Republican seats, and three safe Democratic seats. The new map would be even worse.”
This pattern is happening across the country. From Texas—where lawmakers passed a new map reportedly at Trump’s behest—to Missouri, where organizers are attempting to put an initiative on the ballot to overturn a recent gerrymander, to Indiana, where party leaders recently admitted they may not have the votes to push through a new map.
Townsend emphasizes that Republicans “wouldn’t be trying this if they were confident they could win in 2026. But rather than trying to persuade the American people that they have better ideas, they are trying to rig it so that they can win anyway.”
She warns that the representative ideal is under siege—but not defeated. “The people still hold the power. They always have. And the fight now is to make sure they can still exercise it freely.”
As Republicans attempt to redraw the lines of power, Townsend urges us to “listen for the echoes of our ancestors. Times have changed, but the struggle has not.”
https://www.rawstory.com/under-siege-inside-trumps-comprehensive-plan-to-steal-2026-midterms/
Kaiser health care workers end five-day strike
About 31,000 Kaiser Permanente registered nurses and health care professionals in Hawaii and California, represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), ended their five-day strike on Saturday. The workers pledged to continue their push for safe staffing and stronger patient care protections.
The strike began on Tuesday at more than 500 Kaiser hospitals and clinics and garnered widespread support from patients, community members, and elected officials. Union leaders noted that their action coincided with new Joint Commission standards that classify safe staffing as a patient safety requirement—a shift they say strengthens their bargaining position.
“The Joint Commission has finally said what nurses have known all along: unsafe staffing is unsafe care,” UNAC/UHCP President Charmaine S. Morales said in a news release. “Employers like Kaiser can no longer treat staffing like a budget line. It’s now a national patient safety mandate and UNAC/UHCP will make sure it’s enforced.”
Union representatives are scheduled to return to the bargaining table with Kaiser on October 28 and 29, citing renewed momentum and broad public backing.
“We stood strong for five days and made sure the world heard us,” Morales said. “This strike wasn’t just about numbers on a contract—it was about the right to provide safe care to every patient who walks through those doors.”
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/10/19/breaking-news/kaiser-health-care-workers-end-five-day-strike/