The U.S. Treasury Department announced on October 24th, 2025, that it is sanctioning Colombian President Gustavo Petro for his alleged role in the global illicit drug trade, citing record increases in cocaine production under his leadership and benefits provided to narco-terrorist organizations. The Treasury stated that under President Trump's leadership, the U.S. will not tolerate Colombia trafficking drugs into the nation. This action occurred within the reporting period. The Pentagon is facing scrutiny over its procurement of drone parts, with a report from the Financial Times indicating that the selected supplier had one of the President's sons on its board, raising concerns about government-wide graft. This development comes amid a government shutdown. Separately, Judge Emil Bove issued a dissent on October 24th, 2025, regarding the Third Circuit's denial of an en banc review in a case that struck down Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot dating rule. Bove's dissent humorously questioned the impact of the rule, stating it should take "less than five seconds" for a voter with a "functioning pen, sufficient ink & average hand dexterity." In political commentary, Dan Scavino posted on X on October 24th, 2025, accusing Canada of openly interfering in U.S. elections by targeting Republican districts and questioning the hypothetical scenario of President Trump running ads in Canada. Governor Laura Kelly of Kansas announced on October 24th, 2025, that all stops of The People's Budget tour will now host food drives to support local food banks due to the federal government shutdown threatening November SNAP benefits. Charles C. W. Cooke posted on X on October 24th, 2025, stating that the current government shutdown is unusual, and attributing it to Democrats while also noting that Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House, labeling it "their shutdown." NBC Washington reported on October 24th, 2025, that Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton "suffers early stages of dementia" after falling victim to a $4,000 fraud, according to a police report. The fraud was perpetrated by a group claiming to be a cleaning crew. New polling data released on October 21st, 2025, by Emerson College shows Steve Hilton leading the California Governor's race with 16%, followed by Katie Porter at 15%. Alex Padilla's favorability rating stands at 40% favorable and 28% unfavorable (+12).
