This is C.I.'s "The Snapshot" for today::
Leaders of Young Republican groups throughout the country worried what would happen if their Telegram chat ever got leaked, but they kept typing anyway.
They referred to Black people as monkeys and “the watermelon people” and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies and driving them to suicide and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.
William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used the words “n--ga” and “n--guh,” variations of a racial slur, more than a dozen times in the chat. Bobby Walker, the vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans at the time, referred to rape as “epic.” Peter Giunta, who at the time was chair of the same organization, wrote in a message sent in June that “everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber.”
Giunta was referring to an upcoming vote on whether he should become chair of the Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s 15,000-member political organization for Republicans between 18 and 40 years old.
“Im going to create some of the greatest physiological torture methods known to man. We only want true believers,” he continued.
Two more members of a Young Republican group chat strewn with racist epithets and hateful jokes stepped down from their jobs Tuesday after POLITICO published an exclusive report on the Telegram exchanges.
Peter Giunta’s time working with New York Assemblymember Mike Reilly “has ended,” the Republican lawmaker said. Giunta served as chair of the New York State Young Republicans when the chat took place. Joseph Maligno, who previously identified himself as the general counsel for that group, is no longer an employee of the New York State Unified Court System, a courts spokesperson confirmed.
Another chat member, Vermont state Senator Sam Douglass, faced mounting calls for his resignation as well, including from the state’s Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, and Douglass’ fellow Republican lawmakers, who called his statements “deeply disturbing.”
POLITICO’s in-depth look into how one group of Young Republicans spoke privately was met Tuesday with widespread condemnation in New York, Washington and beyond. The members of the chat — 2,900 pages of which were leaked and reviewed by POLITICO — called Black people monkeys, repeatedly used slurs for gay, Black, Latino and Asian people, and jokingly celebrated Adolf Hitler.
In a bipartisan outcry, members of Congress and other political leaders from around the country said they were appalled by the contents of the group chat. The board of directors of the National Young Republicans said every member of the chat “must immediately resign” their state organization.
THE BULWORK has already covered this appalling story.
Federal agents have moved about 20 migrants to the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a Defense Department official said on Tuesday, repopulating the holding site for detainees designated for deportation for the first time in nearly two weeks.
The identities or nationalities of the detainees were not immediately known. All were believed to be men.
Trackers spotted the flight after it left a Homeland Security Department hub in Alexandria, La., on Monday afternoon. But the first confirmation came on Tuesday, after the federal holiday, from a defense official who was not authorized to be identified by name.
The operation raised to about 710 the number of migrants who had been temporarily held at the base since the Trump administration’s deportation operations began in early February.
Chump's immigration war is destroying the country. It's destroying our rights. It's destroying our safety. It's destroying our economy. He's destroying businesses that depend upon foreign travelers to this country. He's destroying farming. On farming, Dave Smith (FORBES) reports:
Federal immigration enforcement agents allegedly interfered with—and even threatened to “shoot and arrest”—emergency personnel rescuing an injured protester last week in south Portland, as first reported Monday in Willamette Week.
Citing public dispatch records and two confidential internal reports filed by the ambulance workers, Willamette Week reported that agents blocked an ambulance on the evening of October 5 as it tried to exit an ICE facility with a protester who had suffered a collar bone injury.
Federal agents allegedly delayed the emergency workers manning the vehicle for several minutes, repeatedly requesting to ride in the ambulance to the hospital—even after having agreed, due to their lack of arrest paperwork, to simply follow along in their own vehicle instead.
After some delay, the driver began moving the vehicle toward the garage’s exit, when a plainclothes man with a partial face covering reportedly stepped in its path, urging the driver to stop so as not to hit a group of officers in riot gear standing about 15 feet away.
Eventually, seeing the group of officers line up in apparent “preparation for the gate to open so they could escort the ambulance” off, the driver reported having inched forward a bit further. But the delay stretched on, as federal agents stood “incredibly close” to the vehicle and behaved aggressively, the driver recounted. One of the crew members decided to get out to “calm and deescalate the situation,” they later wrote.
Deciding to join them, the driver, according to their report, put the emergency vehicle in park, which caused it to lurch forward slightly. An agent evidently interpreted the vehicle’s forward movement as deliberate, and is said to have begun threatening the driver.
The agent “pointed his finger at me in a threatening manner,” the driver recalled, “and began viciously yelling in my face, stating, ‘DON’T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN, I WILL SHOOT YOU, I WILL ARREST YOU RIGHT NOW.’”
“I was still in such shock,” the driver said, “that they were not only accusing me of such a thing, but crowding and cornering me in the seat, pointing and screaming at me, threatening to shoot and arrest me, and not allowing the ambulance to leave the scene. This was no longer a safe scene, and in that moment, I realized that the scene had not actually been safe the entire time that they were blocking us from exiting, and that we were essentially trapped.”
Federal agents deployed tear gas on Chicago residents and more than a dozen police officers on Tuesday, the latest clash in the nation’s third-largest city as the Trump administration has carried out its immigration crackdown.
The clash began on Tuesday morning when federal agents were seen chasing a car through a working-class, heavily Latino neighborhood on the city’s far South Side, witnesses said. An S.U.V. driven by the federal agents collided with the car they were pursuing, the Chicago Police Department said, sending that car into another vehicle that was parked nearby.
After the crash, dozens of additional immigration agents in masks arrived and residents emerged from their houses, gathering on streets and sidewalks, throwing objects at agents and shouting, “ICE go home!”
As the agents left, they released tear gas, apparently without warning, sending people coughing and running for cover. Among those affected by the gas were 13 Chicago Police Department officers, the police department said, and at least one officer was seen rinsing his eyes out with water from a neighbor’s garden hose.
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) led all Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation in sending a letter to health insurance companies to request answers about how the potential expiration of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits would impact Illinoisans using the marketplace to purchase insurance. Today’s letter comes as the Republican-led government shutdown continues and Republican congressional leaders and President Trump refuse to extend the ACA tax credits that expire at the end of 2025. If these tax credits are not extended by the end of the year, more than four million Americans could lose their health coverage, and more than 20 million Americans are expected to see a significant rise in their premiums.
“We are writing to request information about how the potential expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA; P.L. 111-148) enhanced premium tax credits would impact patients, health care providers, and hospitals in Illinois,” the lawmakers began. “The ACA established premium tax credits, helping lower- and middle-income families lower their health insurance premiums for plans offered through the marketplace. These premium tax credits made health care affordable for millions of families, small business owners, and farmers across the country.”
In 2021, Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan, establishing these enhanced premium tax credits to support Americans in affording their health insurance. In 2022, Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, extending these critical enhanced premium tax credits.
“To make health care even more affordable, the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2) enhanced the premium tax credits. This measure ensured that eligible households would not contribute more than 8.5 percent of their income to their health insurance premiums and allowed more middle-income Americans to access the premium tax credits,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Due to the beneficial impact these enhanced tax credits had for American families, Congress extended them as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-19) through the end of 2025. The enhanced premium tax credits helped double enrollment in ACA health plans from 11.4 million Americans in 2020 to 24.3 million Americans in 2025. In Illinois, ACA enrollment grew 59 percent, from 292,945 Illinoisans in 2020 to 465,985 in 2025. The enhanced premium tax credits have allowed more Americans to access primary care visits, prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorder services, maternity care, and other essential health benefits,” the lawmakers wrote.
Continuing their letter, the lawmakers emphasized that if Republicans in Congress allow these enhanced premium tax credits to expire, premiums for more than 22 million Americans, including 395,850 Illinoisans will more than double—from an average of $888 to $1,904 each month. But some Americans could see even steeper premium increases.
“In Illinois, a 60-year-old couple with an income of $82,800 could see their annual premium increase $17,018—254 percent—while a family of four with an income of $64,000 could see their annual premium increase $2,571—226 percent. Such a large premium increase is unsustainable for most families. In fact, more than four million Americans will become uninsured due if Congress does not act, including 106,000 Illinoisans,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers underscored that health care providers and hospitals will lose critical revenue if Republicans allow the tax credits to lapse. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation projects that hospitals and health care providers across the U.S. could lose more than $32 billion in revenue, while uncompensated care costs could increase by $7.7 billion, in 2026.
“For hospitals and providers in Illinois, lost revenue could amount to $372 million, while uncompensated care costs could increase by $129 million. This is in addition to the congressional Republicans’ $1 trillion Medicaid cut included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will reduce federal Medicaid funding to Illinois by 19 percent over the next decade. We worry that health care providers and hospitals will face even more severe financial hardship if the enhanced premium tax credits expire, and patients will suffer,” the lawmakers wrote.
Concluding their letter, the lawmakers requested details about the potential impacts of Republicans refusing to address this health care crisis.
The following insurance companies received a copy of the lawmakers’ letter: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna Group, Molina Healthcare, Celtic Insurance Company, Mercyhealth, and Oscar Health Inc.
A copy of the letter is available here and below:
October 14, 2025
Dear [CEO],
We are writing to request information about how the potential expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA; P.L. 111-148) enhanced premium tax credits would impact patients, health care providers, and hospitals in Illinois.
The ACA established premium tax credits, helping lower- and middle-income families lower their health insurance premiums for plans offered through the marketplace. These premium tax credits made health care affordable for millions of families, small business owners, and farmers across the country. To make health care even more affordable, the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2) enhanced the premium tax credits. This measure ensured that eligible households would not contribute more than 8.5 percent of their income to their health insurance premiums and allowed more middle-income Americans to access the premium tax credits.
Due to the beneficial impact these enhanced tax credits had for American families, Congress extended them as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-19) through the end of 2025. The enhanced premium tax credits helped double enrollment in ACA health plans from 11.4 million Americans in 2020 to 24.3 million Americans in 2025. In Illinois, ACA enrollment grew 59 percent, from 292,945 Illinoisans in 2020 to 465,985 in 2025. The enhanced premium tax credits have allowed more Americans to access primary care visits, prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorder services, maternity care, and other essential health benefits.
If the enhanced premium tax credits are not extended, premiums for more than 22 million Americans, including 395,850 Illinoisans, will more than double—from an average of $888 to $1,904 each month. Some could see even steeper increases. In Illinois, a 60-year-old couple with an income of $82,800 could see their annual premium increase $17,018—254 percent—while a family of four with an income of $64,000 could see their annual premium increase $2,571—226 percent. Such a large premium increase is unsustainable for most families. In fact, more than four million Americans will become uninsured due if Congress does not act, including 106,000 Illinoisans.
Health care providers and hospitals across Illinois also will be impacted if the enhanced premium tax credits are not extended by the end of the year. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, hospitals and health care providers across the United States could lose more than $32 billion in revenue, while uncompensated care costs could increase by $7.7 billion in 2026. For hospitals and providers in Illinois, lost revenue could amount to $372 million, while uncompensated care costs could increase by $129 million. This is in addition to the congressional Republicans’ $1 trillion Medicaid cut included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will reduce federal Medicaid funding to Illinois by 19 percent over the next decade. We worry that health care providers and hospitals will face even more severe financial hardship if the enhanced premium tax credits expire, and patients will suffer.
To help inform our legislative efforts to improve health care for Illinoisans and better understand the implications of letting the ACA tax credits expire, we request that [health insurer] respond to the following questions by October 22, 2025:
- How many Illinoisans does [health insurer] cover? Please provide statewide figures and a breakdown by congressional district.
- How many Illinoisans does [health insurer] cover who receive the enhanced premium tax credit? Please provide statewide figures and a breakdown by congressional district.
- For Illinoisans who are covered by [health insurer] and receive the enhanced premium tax credit, what is their average premium reduction? Please provide statewide figures and a breakdown by congressional district.
- If the enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire because of congressional Republican inaction, does [health insurer] plan to increase premiums for Illinoisans next year?
- If so, please provide the justification for such premium increases.
- If so, please provide the average statewide increase and a breakdown by congressional district.
- If the enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire because of congressional Republican inaction, does [health insurer] expect the Illinoisans it covers to lose coverage?
- If so, please provide estimated statewide coverage losses and a breakdown by congressional district.
- If so, what continuity of care plans does [health insurer] have in place for Illinoisans?
- When would notices of premium changes be sent to Illinoisans?
- How many Illinoisans will [health insurer] have to notify?
- How will [health insurer] inform Illinoisans (e.g., mail, e-mail)?
- What processes does [health insurer] have in place to ensure that Illinoisans will be informed before their coverage is renewed?
- If the enhanced premium tax credits expire, are there specific counties that will cease to be a part of [health insurer’s] service area?
- If so, approximately when will such a decision to exit be made?
Thank you for your timely attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
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