Indiana Senate Republicans said they do not have the votes needed to redraw the state’s congressional map. Molly Swigart, a spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, said “the votes aren’t there for redistricting.” The news follows conversations state lawmakers had with President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. GOP-Led State Could Soon Launch Congressional Redistricting Effort Prior reports suggested that Indiana Republicans might attempt to increase the odds of adding two GOP-held seats in the state's congressional delegation, creating a 9-0 GOP advantage. ? BREAKING: In an infuriating development, INDIANA's Senate does *NOT* have the votes to pass President Trump's endorsed GOP redistricting map Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray's office said: "The votes aren't there." REALLY? This state went for Trump by 19 POINTS.… pic.twitter.com/SRafaauSNw — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 22, 2025 More from POLITICO: POLITICO spoke to four people close to the sensitive talks, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss the issue. Indiana state Senate Republicans’ latest move threatens to upend what has been a nationwide push from the White House to force red states to redraw maps ahead of the midterms. Three of those people said Indiana Gov. Mike Braun was inclined to call a special session to redo the state’s maps— a move that could come as early as next week. A spokesperson for Braun told POLITICO that the governor “is still having positive conversations with members of the legislature and is confident the majority of Indiana statehouse Republicans will support efforts to ensure fair representation in congress for every Hoosier.” They said the White House conducted a dial-in poll of lawmakers that revealed the majority of Senate Republicans backed mid-cycle redistricting. But one of the Republicans cautioned that colleagues were confused by the instructions for the survey because the administration did not provide guidance on how to move forward. Two of those Republicans briefed on the poll said the White House believed the poll showed the majority of the holdout caucus supports mid-cycle redistricting. But they said that Bray and his leadership team represent the majority of no-votes. In contrast, North Carolina GOP lawmakers solidified a new congressional map expected to add one House seat for Republicans. MAJOR BREAKING: The full North Carolina legislature has PASSED the Trump-endorsed 2026 Congressional map that eliminates a blue seat and adds a RED seat… …Gov. Josh Stein (D) is POWERLESS to veto it. It’s official. It’s done. Democrats’ cheating is being canceled out,… pic.twitter.com/4fysgc8kY5 — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 22, 2025 Newsweek explained: In North Carolina, GOP lawmakers this week approved a congressional map designed to add another Republican seat and strengthen Trump’s hand in next year’s midterm elections. The new boundaries, passed along party lines in the state House and Senate, would likely give Republicans 11 of the state’s 14 U.S. House seats — up from 10 — in a state Trump carried in 2024. The proposal could threaten the reelection of Democratic Rep. Don Davis, whose northeastern district would be redrawn to favor Republicans.

National parks close as Democrat shutdown continues, families turned away and damage mounts.

The Department of War announced on October 22, 2025, a revamped Pentagon press corps, adding over 60 journalists from conservative-leaning media after traditional media organizations including The New York Times, CNN, and The Washington Post surrendered credentials in protest against a new access policy. The policy, introduced in early October by Secretary Pete Hegseth, requires […] The post The Press Corps Didn’t Agree to the Rules So There’s a New One appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Far-left Cardinal Cupich says the Catholic Church stands with migrants [illegal aliens]. In the speech below, he says, as our “shepherd” and fellow “pilgrim,” he portrays the migrants as loving mothers and children, ignoring Tren de Aragua, MS-13, terrorists, radical Islamists, deadbeats. They broke our laws. That alone is enough to send them home. I […] The post Cardinal Cupich Says the Church Stands with Migrants [Illegal Aliens] appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The United States placed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies on Wednesday after plans for an expected meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin fell through. The sanctions, the first the Trump administration has leveled against Russia since taking over the White House in January, are a signal that the president has run short on patience with Moscow. Trump has called for the battle lines to be frozen in Ukraine and for the two sides to meet for peace talks. The sanctions target Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil and dozens of their subsidiaries, but will likely have little direct impact on the money that flows into Russia’s treasury from its substantial energy industry. While the United States did billions of dollars worth of trade with Russia last year, the majority of that was for fertilizer, precious metals, uranium, and plutonium. The sanctions package is a signal to other countries purchasing Russian oil and natural gas that the Trump administration may soon crack down on buyers, as well. “[E]ngaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions,” the announcement from the Treasury Department states. “[The Treasury] can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.” China remains one of Moscow’s largest buyers for energy, though India, another major purchaser of Russian oil, has already promised to cut back its reliance on Russian energy. The European Union joined the United States with a sanctions package targeting Russian energy, as well, including Rosneft. The E.U. sanctions package may bring more direct pain to Moscow’s coffers because of the increased reliance of Europe on Russian oil and natural gas exports. “Appreciated this evening’s call with [Bessent] and the Treasury decision to sanction major Russian oil companies in the face of Russia’s lack of commitment to the peace process,” said E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a post on X. “With the imminent adoption of the EU’s 19th package, this is a clear signal from both sides of the Atlantic that we will keep up collective pressure on the aggressor.” The United Kingdom approved a similar sanctions package on Russian energy last week in what has become a wave of financial penalties targeting Russia’s most important export industry.