Shutdown Day 7. Insurrection Act. Exclusive With Kash Patel

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 Alright, welcome to the Epic Times Morning Brief.

spk_0 I'm Keegan Billings and today is Tuesday, October 7th.

spk_0 Let's start off with a quick look at some of today's stories.

spk_0 The Senate again rejected two competing bills to fund the government yesterday.

spk_0 Meanwhile President Trump said he may consider invoking the Insurrection Act in Portland,

spk_0 Oregon, if necessary.

spk_0 Also Chicago's mayor signed an executive order creating an ice-free zone.

spk_0 And in world news, French Prime Minister Sebastian Lacornu has resigned after less than a month in office.

spk_0 But before I get into the news, I want to let you know our morning brief is also available in newsletter format.

spk_0 It's curated daily by the newsroom here at the Epic Times, one of America's largest independent newspapers.

spk_0 So if you're interested, check the link in the notes.

spk_0 Alright, now let's get back to our top story.

spk_0 The Senate again rejected two competing bills to fund the government yesterday evening.

spk_0 Now the shutdown standoff between the Democrats and the Republicans is on its seventh day.

spk_0 In a 45-50 vote, the Senate voted down the funding bill by the Democrats,

spk_0 which sought to alter healthcare provisions changed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

spk_0 The Republicans proposed short-term extension of funding,

spk_0 which sought to keep the existing level of funding before the shutdown.

spk_0 It failed in a 54-42 vote.

spk_0 To recap, the shutdown began on October 1st,

spk_0 and over the past week, neither side has gathered enough support for its proposal.

spk_0 Because of the rules in the Senate, Republicans need 60 votes to pass the bill,

spk_0 which means that at least seven Democrats would need to agree to vote with them.

spk_0 The bill put forward by Republicans, which has the backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune,

spk_0 and President Trump, is considered a clean funding extension,

spk_0 which describes a bill without partisan attachments or other bill writers.

spk_0 And the bill by the Democrats calls for reversing up to $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts

spk_0 enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,

spk_0 as well as an extension of Obamacare insurance subsidies

spk_0 that are set to expire at the end of this year.

spk_0 Republicans have repeatedly said these demands are a non-starter,

spk_0 though Trump suggested to reporters yesterday that he may be open to discussions on Obamacare

spk_0 subsidies, saying, quote, we are speaking with the Democrats,

spk_0 and some very good things could happen with respect to healthcare.

spk_0 Trump added, quote, if we made the right deal, I'd make a deal for sure.

spk_0 In response, though, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,

spk_0 posting on social media said this isn't true.

spk_0 He added, quote, if Republicans are finally ready to sit down and get something done on healthcare

spk_0 for American families, Democrats will be there ready to make it happen.

spk_0 Specifically, the subsidies in question are the enhanced premium tax credits

spk_0 instituted during COVID-19, which expanded use of the Affordable Care Act marketplace

spk_0 to middle-income Americans. The marketplace was instituted by former President

spk_0 Barack Obama's healthcare law, also known as Obamacare. Enrollment in the marketplace rose

spk_0 to 24 million in 2025 after 11 million before the enhanced subsidies were introduced.

spk_0 Intended to be temporary, they are set to expire at the end of 2025.

spk_0 Democrats have proposed making the enhanced subsidies permanent,

spk_0 arguing that millions of people depend on them, and that their expiration will disrupt

spk_0 insurance markets, raising premiums for most Americans.

spk_0 Some Republicans favor a one-year extension. However, many Republicans see the enhanced

spk_0 subsidies as riddled with fraud and waste. Republican Senator Tom Tillis told reporters, quote,

spk_0 the key to the ACA subsidies is to get back to pre-COVID policy and work on program integrity and waste.

spk_0 And Republican Senator Mike Brown said eliminating that fraud and waste is not going to happen in just

spk_0 one or two days. All right, now I'm going to move on to another topic. White House Press Secretary

spk_0 Levitt said the supplemental nutrition program for women infants and children known as WIC will run

spk_0 out of federal funding very soon due to the government shutdown. The program provides nutritional

spk_0 support and education to about 6.8 million low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants,

spk_0 and children younger than five years old. WIC, which began with the pilot program in 1972,

spk_0 is not an entitlement program like Medicare or Medicaid, for which ongoing funding is guaranteed

spk_0 by federal law. Instead, WIC is funded annually by Congress for the fiscal year, which runs from

spk_0 October 1st to September 30th. Then the program is administered by the states through county and

spk_0 city health centers or private nonprofits. They provide food vouchers and other services such as

spk_0 breastfeeding support, infant formula, and health screenings. In 2024, WIC served about 41 percent

spk_0 of infants in the United States at a total program cost of $7.2 billion. That's according to

spk_0 the Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, in more news, the president is calling on government-sponsored

spk_0 mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to create incentives for home builders,

spk_0 suggesting that millions of lots are staying idle while the nation faces a shortage of affordable

spk_0 homes. In a post on True Social, Trump indicated that big home builders are fueling the country's

spk_0 housing affordability problem. Trump said, quote, before I became president, OPEC kept oil prices high.

spk_0 It wasn't right for them to do that, but in a different form is being done again, this time by

spk_0 the big home builders of our nation. He added, quote, they're my friends and they're very important

spk_0 to the success of our country, but now they can get financing and they have to start building homes.

spk_0 They're sitting on two million empty lots, a record. I'm asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get

spk_0 big home builders going and by doing so, help restore the American dream. Trump's comments come as

spk_0 home prices continue to climb while sellers retreat from the market. As of August, the medium

spk_0 home sale price was about $440,000, which is up 1.7% from a year earlier, according to Redfin.

spk_0 New listings fell by 1.1% from July, the lowest seasonally adjusted level since January 2024,

spk_0 as more sellers pulled back amid sluggish buyer demand. It's not immediately clear what

spk_0 specific actions Trump expects Fannie and Freddie to take. The primary function of the two

spk_0 enterprises is to provide liquidity to the mortgage market by purchasing loans from lenders and

spk_0 packaging them into mortgage-backed securities, for which they guarantee the timely payment of

spk_0 principle and interest to investors who might not otherwise invest in mortgages. The process

spk_0 frees up the capital of lenders, allowing them to extend additional credit to home buyers.

spk_0 And by broadening the pool of funds available for housing finance, Fannie and Freddie can help

spk_0 keep mortgage rates lower and make credit more accessible. Observers have noted that lower

spk_0 mortgage rates could increase home building by making construction and land development loans

spk_0 more affordable. By moving on to some news out of Oregon, President Trump said he may consider

spk_0 invoking the Insurrection Act in Portland, if necessary. Talking to reporters in the Oval Office

spk_0 on October 6th, he said, quote, so far it hasn't been necessary, but we have an Insurrection

spk_0 Act for a reason. He added, quote, if I had to enact it, I'd do that. If people were being killed

spk_0 and courts were holding us up or governors and mayors were holding us up, sure, I'd do that.

spk_0 I mean, I want to make sure that people aren't killed. We have to make sure that our cities are safe.

spk_0 The Insurrection Act is one of the president's broadest emergency powers, authorizing the

spk_0 deployment of military forces domestically to suppress rebellion or domestic violence.

spk_0 On October 5th, a federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked Trump's push to deploy troops

spk_0 to Portland. And yesterday, Trump said, quote, Portland's been on fire for years. I really think

spk_0 that's criminal insurrection. Trump also warned that those attacking ICE agents will face very

spk_0 severe consequences. And in response to a question from NTT, the sister outlet of that big times,

spk_0 Trump said, quote, we're going to find out who's going after our federal agents.

spk_0 And in more news on the topic, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an order to establish what

spk_0 officials say is an ICE free zone in the city in a bid to prevent cooperation with ICE agents.

spk_0 The order, according to the Democratic Mayor's office, is designed to block federal immigration

spk_0 officials from using city of Chicago owned property in their investigations into illegal immigrants

spk_0 in the city's jurisdiction. In a statement, Johnson said quote, with this executive order,

spk_0 Chicago stands firm in protecting the constitutional rights of our residents and immigrant communities

spk_0 and upholding our democracy. The order bans city owned property such as parking lots,

spk_0 garages, and vacant lots from being used as staging areas for enforcement operations targeting

spk_0 illegal immigrants. It's not clear whether Johnson's office has any jurisdiction over what ICE can

spk_0 do in the city. A section on the agency's website says that the federal government has primary

spk_0 authority over immigration matters, meaning that it can override state and local laws that conflict

spk_0 with federal immigration policy. A spokesperson for Homeland Security suggested that the mayor's

spk_0 order would lead to violence against ICE agents. And in response to Johnson's order,

spk_0 DHS assistant secretary Trisha McLaughlin told us quote,

spk_0 just this weekend he and governor Pritzker refused to allow the local police department to give

spk_0 our officers back up at the scene of a law enforcement attack. A growing and violent crowd began

spk_0 throwing rocks at our law enforcement, yet their chief of patrol ordered their officers not to help.

spk_0 She added that the move is demonizing ICE officials who were recently attacked over the weekend.

spk_0 She was likely referring to an October 4th incident in which two people were arrested after

spk_0 ramming law enforcement officials with a vehicle near Chicago. Are now let's move on to some US news.

spk_0 The fast food chain staking shake has started installing large American flags at its

spk_0 restaurants across the country. The company said that every staking shake is getting the tallest

spk_0 and biggest American flag that local governments will allow and that staking shake proudly

spk_0 supports American values and traditions. The post went viral garnering 6.4 million views and

spk_0 nearly 200,000 likes as of yesterday. And in reply to the post Elon Musk said quote,

spk_0 I'm ordering from there tomorrow. Based in Indiana, staking shake employs more than 10,000 people.

spk_0 And as of August, there were 397 of its restaurants across 24 states and territories in the US.

spk_0 Staking shakes announcement comes after President Trump signed an executive order on August 25th,

spk_0 directing AG Bondi to prosecute people caught burning the flag or desecrating it in other ways.

spk_0 Burning the US flag was a form of political protest that became prevalent during the Vietnam War.

spk_0 Subsequently, the Flag Protection Act of 1968 was passed, which banned burning and defiling the flag.

spk_0 The Supreme Court overturned the law in 1989, declaring that desecration of the American flag

spk_0 is protected under the First Amendment. By the way, if you're enjoying this morning brief,

spk_0 we published Monday through Friday. It's a concise report directly from that big time's editorial

spk_0 desk. We do it with depth and facts from both sides. That way you get to make your own opinion.

spk_0 So just take a moment and hit the follow button. Our team would really appreciate it.

spk_0 All right, now I'm going to move on to some world news.

spk_0 French Prime Minister Sebastian Lacornou has resigned after less than a month in office.

spk_0 The announcement came a day after Lacornou, a former defense minister, put together a new government

spk_0 and named Roland Lescourt as finance minister. Lacornou aged 39 was France's fourth Prime

spk_0 Minister in barely a year and was appointed by Macron on September 9th. In his resignation speech,

spk_0 Lacornou said quote, by being more selfless for many, by knowing how to show humility,

spk_0 one must always put one's country before one's party. The Eurozone's second-largest economy

spk_0 faces a political and economic impasse. As Macron struggles to find someone who can guide his

spk_0 controversial budget through the National Assembly. Today, Lacornou was due to give a speech to the

spk_0 National Assembly, outlining his government's plans for the future. But his sudden resignation

spk_0 means that Macron will have to seek a fifth Prime Minister. Unions and left-wing activists

spk_0 protesting at planned cuts to public services have staged three days of nationwide protests since

spk_0 Lacornou's appointment, including one that shut down the Eiffel Tower on October 2nd.

spk_0 French stocks fell on the morning of October 6th following the news, with Francis CAC 40 indexed

spk_0 down 2% from its October 3rd close. Macron has not spoken publicly since Lacornou resigned.

spk_0 Emoryne Le Pen, the former leader of the right-wing national rally, who lost to Macron in 2022,

spk_0 said the resignation raises a question for the president. Le Pen said quote,

spk_0 �Can he continue to resist the legislators dissolution? We have reached the end of the road.

spk_0 There is no other solution. The only wise course of action in these circumstances is to return

spk_0 to the polls. All right, let's move on to some more world news. President Trump has welcomed a

spk_0 Russian proposal to voluntarily maintain limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons.

spk_0 Trump speaking to reporters as he departed the White House on October 5th said the offer from

spk_0 Russian President Vladimir Putin sounds like a good idea. The new strategic arms reduction treaty

spk_0 or new start agreement signed in 2010 and implemented the following year, limits each side to 700

spk_0 deployed long-range missiles and bombers, 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads, and 800 total launchers.

spk_0 The treaty also places restrictions on Russia's most advanced long-range weapons, including the

spk_0 Lavengard hypersonic glide vehicle and the Sarmat Intercontinental Missile, which can reach US

spk_0 territory in about half an hour, and less extended the pact will expire in February 2026.

spk_0 According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the US and Russia together

spk_0 hold roughly 90% of the world's nuclear weapons. And according to the Federation of Atomic

spk_0 Scientists, Russia has a total inventory of 5,459 nuclear warheads, and the US has 5,177. Both

spk_0 figures include retired warheads. China follows with about 600, and France, the UK, India, Pakistan,

spk_0 Israel, and North Korea possess much smaller stockpiles. The slow-moving discussions come against

spk_0 the backdrop of continuing war in Ukraine and escalating rhetoric on both sides. Last month, Putin said

spk_0 that Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the limits under the treaty. Though on October 5th,

spk_0 he said that Moscow's relationship with Washington would be destroyed if the US were to supply

spk_0 Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for long-range strikes deep into Russian territory.

spk_0 Are you moving on to the last story for today? US ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera,

spk_0 said the US views the Chinese Communist Party as a malign influence in Panama,

spk_0 and that those participating in the regime's corruption won't be granted visas to the US.

spk_0 Cabrera sat down with a local publication in Panama for an interview in Spanish,

spk_0 and was direct about the US's concerns, saying, quote,

spk_0 we see the Chinese presence as malign. At the end of the day, 70% of what passes through the

spk_0 Panama Canal goes to and from the United States, so their influence is very worrying to us.

spk_0 Cabrera's position echoes that of US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth,

spk_0 who voiced similar views in April, and President Trump who raised the idea of US ownership and

spk_0 control of the Canal during his campaign. During his inauguration speech, Trump said, we didn't give

spk_0 it to China. We gave it to Panama and we're taking it back. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told

spk_0 Panama President Milino in February that the US viewed the CCP threat as a violation of the

spk_0 neutrality treaty and would take necessary measures if Panama did not. Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison

spk_0 holds a 90% stake in the Panama Ports company, which operates the Panama Canal. Under pressure

spk_0 from Washington, the conglomerate in March agreed to sell its stake and hand over operations

spk_0 at two ports, to a group led by US investment company BlackRock. Previously, Panama had joined the

spk_0 CCP's Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, and saw direct investment from Beijing and ports,

spk_0 mines, transportation, banking, and trade. Panama exports to China increased from about $43 million

spk_0 in 2017 to more than $1 billion in 2021. Though after Rubio's visit this year, President Milino withdrew

spk_0 from the Belt and Road Initiative. Cabrera said Belt and Road projects have seen delays, construction

spk_0 issues, and also corruption. Cabrera said, quote, they come in, give away money, and engage in corruption.

spk_0 Just look at Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The dams they built, the mines they built, it's been a disaster.

spk_0 He added that the CCP has backed cyber attacks around the world and in the region.

spk_0 Are we wrapping up the news for today before we leave, like always? Here are some words to

spk_0 wisdom to start today. Today's quote was written by the Chinese philosopher Confucius.

spk_0 He writes, quote,

spk_0 So virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.

spk_0 I want to thank you for hanging out and listening to the Epic Times Morning Brief.

spk_0 Once again, I'm Higgin, I hope you have a good day and I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Shutdown Day 7. Insurrection Act. Exclusive With Kash Patel

Interactive Transcript

Topics Covered

Related Episodes

Is Trudeau to blame for Carney's disappointing budget?

What this week’s elections could mean for the midterms

Inside Call me Back SNEAK PEEK: Between Mamdani and Tucker, Are Jews Getting Squeezed? - with Jonah Goldberg

215: Inside the News Cycle: Comedy, Policy, and Real-World Climate Choices with Bill Kessler

Share Episode