Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to criminal charges today, October 8th, 2025, with a trial date set for January 5th, 2026. Comey is expected to move to dismiss the case, arguing that Lindsey Halligan was not validly appointed. This development occurs as the government shutdown continues, with Senator Angus King announcing he will continue to vote for continuing resolutions, despite expressing concerns about the administration's actions during the shutdown. Comey's arraignment and plea occurred this afternoon, with his legal team indicating they will challenge Halligan's appointment. Meanwhile, Senator Angus King stated he will continue to vote for both Democratic and Republican continuing resolutions (CRs) to end the government shutdown, despite having considered switching his vote to 'no' on the GOP version. King cited frustration with Republicans' lack of commitment to discussions on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and expressed concern over the power being exercised by the president, OMB, Vought, and Miller during the shutdown, calling it a "real threat to our country." In other congressional news, Representatives Kelly and Gallego have criticized Speaker Johnson for keeping the House on recess and not swearing in Adelita Grijalva. Gallego accused Johnson of wanting to "cover-up for pedophiles" by not seating Grijalva, who would provide the 218 votes needed for a discharge petition on Epstein files. On the party front, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has briefed top Democrats on its post-election review, attributing their loss to a lack of "consistent spending," mid-campaign candidate switching from Biden to Harris, and failure to focus on voters' top issues. Biden's age was not cited as a reason for the loss. In a separate legal development, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht for allegedly starting the Palisades Fire in January. The DOJ states Rinderknecht started a smaller fire on New Year's Day that smoldered and reignited during a windstorm on January 7th, 2025, becoming the destructive Palisades Fire. Rinderknecht is scheduled for an initial appearance today at 1:30 p.m. EDT in U.S. District Court in Orlando. Economically, American soybean farmers are facing panic as they harvest a bumper crop without China as a customer. According to reports, the situation could worsen if a deal with China is not reached soon. In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear bestowed the title of "Kentucky Colonel" upon Raymond Buckley, longtime chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. Separately, reports indicate that Marjorie Taylor Greene has become increasingly disillusioned with her party and has been urged by the White House not to pursue a Senate bid. She reportedly told associates that she is "not some sort of blind slave to the president."
