Hegseth Seeks Revenge
In one of the most blatant retribution schemes yet in Trump II, the Pentagon announced Monday that it is investigating Sen. Mark Kelly, a combat veteran and elected Democrat from Arizona who has long been critical of Trump and recently upset Trump admin officials for stating publicly something that is in the Constitution — obviously a major offense in this era.
Kelly was one of several elected Dems who are veterans of the military or former national security officials who participated in a video posted by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) last week, asking members of the military to “stand up” for the Constitution in the wake of Trump’s efforts to weaponize the military against American civilians. They also reminded service members that they swore an oath to the Constitution and “can refuse illegal orders” as part of that duty.
President Trump then sparked up-til-this-point new levels of outrage when he threatened a handful of elected national Democrats, including Kelly, with arrest and shared posts on social media suggesting they should be put to death by hanging. It was one of the more sinister moments of Trump’s second term thus far, and Democratic leadership in Congress contacted the police to ensure members were kept safe.
Now the Pentagon is investigating Kelly. The recently rebranded Department of War posted on Twitter Monday announcing the probe and claiming the department had received “serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly.
“Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger,” Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday, confirming the “investigation” is about the video.
Kelly, for his part, has responded in a Twitter post about his military service, including his choice to retire from service after “my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents.”
“If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” he said. “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”
— Nicole LaFond
SCOTUS Temporarily Reinstates Texas GOP’s Gerrymander
In what might become a win for the Trump administration’s ongoing redistricting battle, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court order on Friday that enjoined the use of Texas’ new map for the 2026 election.
Texas Republicans, including GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court on Friday in an effort to save the gerrymandered Republican-favoring map — a part of Trump’s larger pressure campaign to maintain control of the U.S. House in the midterm elections.
The lower court last week called the map “racially gerrymandered.” But on Friday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito placed a temporary hold on that order to give the full court time to consider the issue.
Republicans who filed the appeal have argued that the lower court’s order that blocks the use of the new map caused “chaos.”
Texas Republicans hastily redrew several districts in the state represented by Democrats in response to Trump’s demands that red states engage in mid-cycle gerrymandering before the midterms. The new maps would likely flip the seats from Democratic to Republican.
— Khaya Himmelman
Americans Can’t Afford Their Electric Bill
The Washington Post is out with new reporting today on the affordability crisis in America, focused specifically on electric bills. It looked at disconnection rates — when a household’s electricity gets shut off because bills haven’t been paid — in 11 states and found that those rates have risen in at least eight of them compared to last year. The rate is especially high in New York City. More from the Post:
In Pennsylvania, where Pellew lives, power shutoffs have risen 21 percent this year, with more than 270,000 households losing electricity, according to state data through October. The average electricity bill in the state, meanwhile, has risen 13 percent from a year ago, as utilities upgrade electric grids to accommodate a burst of new data centers, according to an analysis of federal data by NEADA, which represents state directors of energy aid programs for low-income families.
— Nicole LaFond
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TPM Cafe: Why the Chemtrail Conspiracy Theory Lingers and Grows — and Why Tucker Carlson Is Talking About It
Josh Marshall: Chaos, Confrontation and Consequences—Get Ready for Year Two
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