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GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN 2025
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN 2025
10/15/2025
10/15/2025
DC DRAMA SPILLS INTO STALEMATE
DC DRAMA SPILLS INTO STALEMATE
By Jonathan Conners
Like two siblings in a store fighting over which candy they want their parents to purchase, Democrats and Republicans are in a bind over spending. Unfortunately, they are not arguing about 50 cent candy, but rather billions of dollars. Meanwhile their constituents have been plagued by inflation, stagnant wages, and wealth shifting upwards. The Federal budget has been operating at a deficit since 2001, currently at a $1.97 trillion shortage and $37 trillion total debt. Unfortunately, Democrats and Republicans are not at odds over balancing the budget. Their differences center around spending the money they do not have.The federal fiscal year expires on September 30th of every year. Before that time, Congress renegotiates their spending for the upcoming fiscal year. However, with the polarizing status of Congress, it often is not a simple process. Our representatives have the option to vote for or against the upcoming spending. This process is called a “Continuing Resolution” or a CR. This piece of legislation continues funding for everything unless specifically stated. Congress can continue funding programs or remove them, as well as expand or reduce spending. All spending items have a timetable with an expiration year. When their expiration year arrives, Congress has to decide whether they would like to continue funding the particular line item. These can be included in the CR. The bill, named HR 5371 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026, extends a host of healthcare and VA initiatives. This passed the House of Representatives on September 19th, 2025 with a 217-212 vote. All Republicans voted in favor and all Democrats voted nay. This has not passed the Senate. On October 9th, they voted for cloture on motion to proceed. In layman’s terms there was a vote to force the group to vote on the bill and end a filibuster. There needs to be a ⅗ majority to move into a vote. The lot voted along party lines with one exception, Fetterman D-PA, who voted with Republicans. The last time the Senate voted on the actual bill was on September 30th, 2025. Included in this resolution:Continuation of funding for a set of programs with the expiration date of November 21st, 2025 with the expectation of providing time to come to an adequate solution to funding disagreements by that time. Expansion of budget funding for the US Marshals service, appropriating the department with $30 million for salary and expensesLimits Department of Defense from increased production or new production of anything not approved in 2025. However, it does allot them $199 million for a new E-7 Wedgetail program.$28 million in additional funds for the security of the Supreme CourtThe sticking point lies within the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. The Premium Tax Credit (PTC) has been available since 2014. However, this program expanded eligibility as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. This provision eliminated the maximum of 400% of the federal poverty level. A family of 4 was limited to an income of $128,000 to be eligible for ACA before the expansion (2025 level). At the present time, anyone is eligible for these subsidies. According to those who advocated for the expansion of the PTC stated that this also included lower percentages and indexing, providing greater subsidies. The ARPA of 2021 included funding for 2021 and 2022. It was expanded to 2025 as part of the 2022 budget reconciliation law. The continuation of the enhanced PTC is not included in this CR. This is the sticking point for Democrats in the Senate.The Joint Committee on Taxation and Congressional Budget Office both estimated that these expanded subsidies from ARPA 2021 have a negative impact on the federal budget of $33 billion from 2023-2025. They estimate as a whole the PTC has a $113 billion net revenue loss for the budget in 2025.As of February 2025, there are 21.8 million people on ACA healthcare plans. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as of 2024 there are 2,356,137 people enrolled in ACA in the Federal Poverty Level in the 400% + range. These people would be removed from healthcare if the subsidy percentages are restored to the original levels. The amount of people that would be affected by the discontinuation of the expansion of PTC subsidies is 0.69% of the US population. This group has an income starting at $62k for a single individual, while a family of 4 would have a limit of $128k. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the median household income is currently at $62,000. Attached is the chart in which the enrollees in ACA will be affected.
ACA marketplace insurers are anticipating a rise in premiums as well. According to a survey done by Health System Tracker of the 312 participating companies in ACA, all but 3 stated they are increasing prices in 2026. Most raged in the 12% -27% but one was as high as 59%. These companies cite rising healthcare costs and the inability to negotiate for high priced pharmaceuticals. They are also anticipating these credits to expire and people will be ineligible for their plans on the marketplace. As for the shutdown's conclusion, there is no indication either side is going to acquiesce. Until then, all non-essential employees will continue to wait in limbo. On Friday, October 10th, President Trump instructed the Office of Management and Budget to conduct over 4,000 layoffs. The Treasury Department and Department of Health and Human Services were hit the hardest, accounting for 1,600 of the layoffs. An estimated 2 million workers are affected by the closure. Not all are in danger of lay-offs, as some are being furloughed, but there is a large number that must work without pay. Even though they will receive back pay, the uncertainty and financial strain can send ripples through communities. #chroniclesofreason #governmentshutdown #ACA #obamacare #Republicans #democrats #Libertarianism #Voluntaryism #Congress #budget #deficitspending #nationaldebt
- Midland, TX
- 10/15/2025
Like two siblings in a store fighting over which candy they want their parents to purchase, Democrats and Republicans are in a bind over spending. Unfortunately, they are not arguing about 50 cent candy, but rather billions of dollars. Meanwhile their constituents have been plagued by inflation, stagnant wages, and wealth shifting upwards. The Federal budget has been operating at a deficit since 2001, currently at a $1.97 trillion shortage and $37 trillion total debt. Unfortunately, Democrats and Republicans are not at odds over balancing the budget. Their differences center around spending the money they do not have.The federal fiscal year expires on September 30th of every year. Before that time, Congress renegotiates their spending for the upcoming fiscal year. However, with the polarizing status of Congress, it often is not a simple process. Our representatives have the option to vote for or against the upcoming spending. This process is called a “Continuing Resolution” or a CR. This piece of legislation continues funding for everything unless specifically stated. Congress can continue funding programs or remove them, as well as expand or reduce spending. All spending items have a timetable with an expiration year. When their expiration year arrives, Congress has to decide whether they would like to continue funding the particular line item. These can be included in the CR. The bill, named HR 5371 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026, extends a host of healthcare and VA initiatives. This passed the House of Representatives on September 19th, 2025 with a 217-212 vote. All Republicans voted in favor and all Democrats voted nay. This has not passed the Senate. On October 9th, they voted for cloture on motion to proceed. In layman’s terms there was a vote to force the group to vote on the bill and end a filibuster. There needs to be a ⅗ majority to move into a vote. The lot voted along party lines with one exception, Fetterman D-PA, who voted with Republicans. The last time the Senate voted on the actual bill was on September 30th, 2025. Included in this resolution:Continuation of funding for a set of programs with the expiration date of November 21st, 2025 with the expectation of providing time to come to an adequate solution to funding disagreements by that time. Expansion of budget funding for the US Marshals service, appropriating the department with $30 million for salary and expensesLimits Department of Defense from increased production or new production of anything not approved in 2025. However, it does allot them $199 million for a new E-7 Wedgetail program.$28 million in additional funds for the security of the Supreme CourtThe sticking point lies within the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. The Premium Tax Credit (PTC) has been available since 2014. However, this program expanded eligibility as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. This provision eliminated the maximum of 400% of the federal poverty level. A family of 4 was limited to an income of $128,000 to be eligible for ACA before the expansion (2025 level). At the present time, anyone is eligible for these subsidies. According to those who advocated for the expansion of the PTC stated that this also included lower percentages and indexing, providing greater subsidies. The ARPA of 2021 included funding for 2021 and 2022. It was expanded to 2025 as part of the 2022 budget reconciliation law. The continuation of the enhanced PTC is not included in this CR. This is the sticking point for Democrats in the Senate.The Joint Committee on Taxation and Congressional Budget Office both estimated that these expanded subsidies from ARPA 2021 have a negative impact on the federal budget of $33 billion from 2023-2025. They estimate as a whole the PTC has a $113 billion net revenue loss for the budget in 2025.As of February 2025, there are 21.8 million people on ACA healthcare plans. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as of 2024 there are 2,356,137 people enrolled in ACA in the Federal Poverty Level in the 400% + range. These people would be removed from healthcare if the subsidy percentages are restored to the original levels. The amount of people that would be affected by the discontinuation of the expansion of PTC subsidies is 0.69% of the US population. This group has an income starting at $62k for a single individual, while a family of 4 would have a limit of $128k. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the median household income is currently at $62,000. Attached is the chart in which the enrollees in ACA will be affected.
ACA marketplace insurers are anticipating a rise in premiums as well. According to a survey done by Health System Tracker of the 312 participating companies in ACA, all but 3 stated they are increasing prices in 2026. Most raged in the 12% -27% but one was as high as 59%. These companies cite rising healthcare costs and the inability to negotiate for high priced pharmaceuticals. They are also anticipating these credits to expire and people will be ineligible for their plans on the marketplace. As for the shutdown's conclusion, there is no indication either side is going to acquiesce. Until then, all non-essential employees will continue to wait in limbo. On Friday, October 10th, President Trump instructed the Office of Management and Budget to conduct over 4,000 layoffs. The Treasury Department and Department of Health and Human Services were hit the hardest, accounting for 1,600 of the layoffs. An estimated 2 million workers are affected by the closure. Not all are in danger of lay-offs, as some are being furloughed, but there is a large number that must work without pay. Even though they will receive back pay, the uncertainty and financial strain can send ripples through communities. #chroniclesofreason #governmentshutdown #ACA #obamacare #Republicans #democrats #Libertarianism #Voluntaryism #Congress #budget #deficitspending #nationaldebt
KIMMEL, COLBERT SHOWS ALTERED BY NETWORKS
KIMMEL, COLBERT SHOWS ALTERED BY NETWORKS
Deep Dive into the Truth Surround the Recent Shift in Late Night Shows
Deep Dive into the Truth Surround the Recent Shift in Late Night Shows
Note: Data from “The Tonight’s Show” for April was not available.
Source: Neilson’s Ratings
Midland, TX
By Jonathan Conners
September 22nd, 2025
Late night TV has taken a hit the past few months. Two long-time hosts are facing changes moving forward. Stephen Colbert was given a pink slip in July. And now Jimmy Kimmel’s show was paused indefinitely.
Stephen Colbert’s show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, will be ending in May of 2026. CBS announced on July 17th, 2025. According to CBS this decision was purely financial. The headman for the network, George Cheeks, stated "This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night, It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
Colbert initially was paid $6 million when he took over the show from David Letterman in 2015. His contract extension in 2019 raised his pay to $15 million. Another extension in 2023 kept his wages consistent at the same level. His net worth is estimated to be $75 million according to the Economic Times.
Ratings and advertising revenue for late night TV have been dropping significantly over the past 2 years. According to Guidelines, an advertising firm, revenue in 2018 was $439 million. In 2024 that number was $220 million. The highest rated late night show is Gutfield!, hosted by Greg Gutfield on Fox News.
According to TheLateNighter, late night TV has dropped 70% to 80% of viewership since 2015. Colbert’s first show drew 6 million viewers and averaged 4.45 million in the first weeks of the show. This drop in viewership has also coincided with a change in demographics, 18-45 year olds have dropped from 0.68 share in 2014 to 0.18 in 2025.
Cost has also been a factor, especially for The Late Show. Reports from Puck News indicate that the show cost $100 million to operate and was losing $40 million a year. The show had over 100 employees plus the price tag of Colbert's salary.
CBS and parent company, Paramount Global, have had sinking financials for the past 2 years. According to their SEC filing, the company had a net earnings of negative $6,190,000,000. In 2023 that number was a loss of 576,000,000. Their Class A common stock profile has sunk 44% since 2019 and Class B 71%.
Paramount also has had a shift in leadership with the culmination of the merger with Skydance Media and National Amusements. This $8 billion transaction bought out all current stockholders and merged the companies into one entity. This was completed on August 7th, 2025. The new corporate structure is called Paramount Skydance.
Jimmy Kimmel’s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been paused for the time being by ABC network executives. While Colbert and Kimmel have both made their allegiances widely known, Kimmel’s status change is more complex. There has been chatter surrounding his comments following conservative personality Charlie Kirk’s murder.
The comments stem from the alleged shooter’s background and motive. On his show he stated: "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."
Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter at Utah Valley on September 10th, a 22 year old who turned himself in to the Washington County Sheriff’s office on September 11th. The details are still being pieced together. However, Robinson’s mother told detectives that her son had shifted to the left politically with a pro-gay and pro-trans stance. Several sources also admitted that he was in a relationship with his roommate. This roommate was transitioning from male to female.
At the crime scene the bullets found were engraved with messages such as “Hey Fascist, Catch!”, “If you read this then you’re gay, LMAO”, “Oh bella ciao”. The last one refers to a popular anti-fascist Italian song. These themes are often associated with leftist ideology and are consistent with the rhetoric from left-wing commentary.
Kimmel had been averaging 1.7 million viewers at the beginning of 2025 but at the present time it’s down to 1.1 viewers, losing an average of 600,000 viewers. His viewership has sunk farther since 2015, that year he averaged 2.4 million viewers. The show has also had a downturn with younger viewers, similar to Colbert, dropping 0.5 of market share.
Similar to his counterpart at CBS, Kimmel has a $15 million salary. His net worth is estimated to be around $50 million. He owns 3 multimillion dollar homes in Hermosa Beach with his main residence in Hollywood Hills worth an estimated $7 million.
The Walt Disney Company, ABC’s parent, has not had the financial strain that their counterpart Paramount has accrued. Their revenue from 2024 is $91.3 billion with a net income of $4.9 billion. ABC does not file separately, their financials are covered under Disney’s filing. It is unclear what the specific situation is with their net income. However, with WDC having a strong money situation there should be no financial concerns at ABC.
Affiliates of ABC, Nexstar and Sinclair, have admittedly pressured their content provider to remove Kimmel from the network. Gary Weitman, Nexstar Chief of Communications, stated “The decision to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ was made unilaterally by the senior executive team at Nexstar, and they had no communication with the FCC or any government agency prior to making that decision.”
The Federal Communications Commission chairman, Brandan Carr, has openly urged Disney and ABC to remove Kimmel from the airwaves. He called his commentary “sick” and stating “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,”
Nexstar owns 197 stations across the country. They have a revenue of $5.4 billion and a net income of $722 million. They are a publicly traded company with Peter Sook, founder/ chairman/ CEO, owning the controlling interest. They merged with Tribune Media and their subsidiaries in 2019. They merged for $4.1 billion and they became the biggest regional TV company in the United States. Currently they are in the process of acquiring Tegna Inc for $6.2 billion. Tegna has revenue of $3.1 billion and a net income of $599 million. They own 68 stations across the country. This would make Nexstar
Sinclair, another large affiliate, urged Kimmel to apologize to the Kirk family and make a donation to TurningPoint USA. The Sinclair Broadcasting Group is a publicly traded company with the controlling interest held by The Smith Family. David Smith is the former CEO and President but now only remains the Chairman of the Board, stepping down from the leadership position in 2017. As of 2024 they own or operate 190 stations and recently purchased the Baltimore Sun. They have a revenue of $3.5 billion and a net income of $310 million.
While Kimmel waits in limbo for the network’s next move, Colbert is taking the change in stride. He has continued hosting his show and won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series in 2025. It is unclear what he will do moving forward at the present time. Kimmel has been quiet since his news broke, having said nothing publicly.
US Federal Debt; The Elephant in the Room
US Federal Debt; The Elephant in the Room
Midland, TX
By Jonathan Conners
The American people are no strangers to public debt. Every day there is new information about a city, school district, or the federal government being in debt. The federal government has hit records for debt and revenue at the same time. The average American most shrugs this off, we rarely hear about this unless it's an election season. Then it becomes ammo in a mudslinging contest.
Andrew Jackson was the last bureaucrat to nearly eradicate public debt. While dismantling the Second Bank of the United States in 1837, he used the proceeds to pay all outstanding debt, sending the remainder to the states for debt payment. The debt free feeling was short lived, by 1849 the debt climbed back to $63 million. The Civil War, Spanish American War, both World Wars, Korean War, Cold War….debt was inevitable. There’s even 4,000 employees in the Bureau of Fiscal Services that handle debt day to day.
The US debt is accumulated operating in a deficit: spending more money they are bringing in. This is not a common practice in capitalism as generally a deficit means you’re out of business. The Federal Government has been in a budget deficit since 2001, the last time there was a surplus.
As of 2024, the US federal revenue was $4.92 trillion. This is the second largest in US history, the highest was in 2022 at $5.21 trillion. Compare this with spending - $6.75 trillion in 2024 ($6.67 in 2022). This is a negative net loss of $1.83 trillion in 2024 and $1.54 in 2022.
To rectify this the government will sell treasury bonds, bills, or borrow funds from the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve holds $4.6 trillion (12.6%) of the national debt. The highest category for the ownership of this debt is foreign entities - Japan holds the most debt at $1 trillion, UK holds $809.4 billion, and China holds $756 billion.
This arrangement of spending more than they have is the direct cause of inflation. Inflation is the increase of value and the fall of purchasing power. The debt they are issuing (to pay the debt) has to be repaid, plus interest, which is the injection into the money supply. This increases the money in the monetary system and lowers the value of the money at the same time. The lower the value of the money, the less you can buy with money, and the more you have to work to maintain the same living standards.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics - $1,021 in 1913 would be worth $31 in today’s economy. If you took $1,021 from 1913 and took a time machine to 2025 you would be able to buy $31 worth of goods and services.
The Big Beautiful Bill addressed taxes in a few different ways. This bill provides temporary relief for taxes on tips, overtime, car loan interest, and seniors. However, according to the Tax Foundation the bill has a -$3 trillion effect on the federal budget from 2024-2034. Cutting tax revenue without equally cutting spending will increase the deficit and the debt.
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