Jen Bendery

South Carolina Confirms Measles Outbreak With U.S. Cases At 25-Year High "The people involved in the outbreak are unvaccinated and did not have immunity from a previous measles infection," the state's health agency confirmed.

South Carolina confirms measles outbreak as U.S. cases hit 25-year high www.huffpost.com/entry/south-...

Meet Donald Trump’s Government Shutdown Hatchet Man White House budget director Russ Vought is the powerful, behind-the-scenes Trump official dishing out payback against blue states.

Russ Vought’s destructive teenage dreams are coming true www.huffpost.com/entry/russ-v... w/ @delaneyrules.bsky.social

It baaaaack.

"Just like a toppled confederate general forced back onto a public square, the Donald Trump Jeffrey Epstein statue has risen from the rubble to stand gloriously on the National Mall once again," the group Secret Handshake tells @huffpost.com.

In a conversation with Cathy Engelbert, Napheesa Collier noted that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and other young stars are driving massive revenue for the WNBA, but are making so little from their rookie contracts.

The commissioner's response, per Collier:

This is LGBTQ+ History Month, and I urge my followers who are LGBTQ+ (or just curious) to dive into one thing--a movie, novel, TV show--from your childhood or before. Look at an older gay work as something other than a relic or an error. You'll be rewarded. Your world, your SELF, will get bigger. >

The Grisly Alternative to ‘Medicaid For Illegals’ Republicans Won’t Talk About: Migrants Dying In Hospital Parking Lots Federal law requires hospitals to treat anyone in a health emergency, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.

The grisly alternative to "Medicaid for illegals" that Republicans won't talk about: migrants dying in hospital parking lots www.huffpost.com/entry/medica... via @svdate.bsky.social @delaneyrules.bsky.social

#NationalParks

Just reading this now. Looking forward to learning more.

Do you volunteer at a park?

If you notice bad things happening at national parks you visit during this government shutdown -- e.g. vandalism, habitats destroyed, mountains of trash, people getting hurt -- I'm very interested in hearing about/seeing images of what you see.

Drop me a note: jen.bendery@huffpost.com

🙏

Our president is an international punchline, and so are we.

A summary of this lawsuit, via the plaintiffs' attorneys:

Among the many services indefinitely postponed because of the government shutdown: the hearing + trial in the American Academy of Pediatrics' lawsuit against RFK Jr. over the actions he's taken to limit Americans' access to COVID vaccines.

Drones, Helicopters, Hundreds of Arrests: Trump’s Immigration Crackdown in Chicago So Far

WTAF:

“Federal agents, using drones, helicopters, trucks and dozens of vehicles, conducted a middle-of-the-night raid on a rundown apartment building on the South Side of Chicago…Snipers rappelled down from helicopters on top of the apartment complex…”

Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/u...

Trump Admin Tells Federal Employees To Set OOO Message Blaming Democrats For Shutdown One health department employee said the directions seemed to be "coercing" subordinates into political activity.

Wild stuff. Furloughed employees within HHS got an email this morning telling them to set an out-of-office reply blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

"I take that email as coercing subordinates to engage in political activity," one worker told me.

www.huffpost.com/entry/out-of...

He noted a lawsuit was filed Tuesday in a California district court aimed at preemptively preventing Vought from proceeding with mass firings.

The lawsuit, brought by 2 labor unions, argues Vought/OMB violated the law through their threats of mass firings of federal workers during a shutdown.

“The law is very clear on this,” says Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.), an attorney + a House appropriator.

"A shutdown triggers furloughs, temporary furloughs.... But in no event does a shutdown give the legal ability for – particularly for the budget director – to just go firing a bunch of people.”

House Democrat: ‘Law Is Very Clear’ Trump Can’t Use Shutdown For Mass Layoffs

Dem congressman on Russ Vought's threats of mass firings of federal employees during the government shutdown: "It's illegal and unconstitutional."
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...

My local PBS station has already announced they will go off the air by the end of this year. No more Sesame Street, Antique Roadshow, Nova, etc, for us on the central Gulf Coast.

"This is only the beginning as additional cuts are expected to roll out over the coming months and year," says Riley.

Some recent examples of where operations are winding down:

Every House Republican but two -- Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Turner -- also voted to cut off all federal funding for local public broadcasting. clerk.house.gov/Votes/202520...

Every Republican senator but two -- Murkowski and Collins -- voted to cut off all of their federal funding
www.senate.gov/legislative/...

The Corporation For Public Broadcasting Is Shutting Down After More Than 50 Years The organization is a key source of funding for NPR, PBS, local public TV and radio stations around the country.

This is happening because Republicans in Congress cut off all of their federal funding in July. www.huffpost.com/entry/corpor...

Some of the ways this loss in federal funding is going to devastate communities nationwide, particularly in rural areas, via America's Public Television Stations:

In a statement, Riley says the majority of the CPB staff left the org yesterday.

"All local stations will be negatively impacted by this and communities across the country, especially in rural areas, are now losing essential services that only local public television stations can provide."

No more federal $ for local public broadcasting starting today.

“For the first time in over 50 years, local public broadcasting stations will not receive federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting," says Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations.

World-Famous Primatologist And Activist Dr. Jane Goodall Dies The Jane Goodall Institute said Dr. Goodall passed away "due to natural causes."

Jane Goodall has passed away at 91. RIP. www.huffpost.com/entry/jane-g...

Call is over.

5 House Dems joined this call, and their clear message was 1) we are united and holding firm in not agreeing to end the shutdown until health care protections are restored, and 2) no comment on Senate Dems not being as united.

"No funds can go to an undocumented person through Medicare, Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act -- and that's ... more than lion's share of what they're cutting," Pocan says.

"Call it out as bullshit," he says of how to respond to GOPers making this claim. "And make sure we get that across."

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) now on the call.

He says "the bottom line" people need to understand amid this fight is that "no federal dollars" are being used to give free health care to undocumented immigrants.

This is "a complete lie" by Republicans.