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On Politics

Tue Oct 7 2025

Sudiksha Kochi | Congress and Campaigns Reporter

@KochiSudiksha

Hello, readers! Welcome back to another edition of OnPolitics. We are now on day seven of the federal government shutdown, as Democrats and Republicans continue to point fingers at each other. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is weighing in on a conversion therapy case and the Tennessee special election primary is tonight. Let's dive right into the news of the day!

Celebs shun conversion therapy

The U.S. Supreme Court is debating whether a Colorado ban on "conversion therapy" for gay and transgender minors violates a therapist's free speech. This is fairly new ground for the justices. Hollywood celebrities have long been outspoken about conversion therapy, a controversial approach that has triggered widespread backlash. One of those celebrities is Miley Cyrus, the iconic Hannah Montana popstar.

"I had some gay friends in school," Cyrus told beauty mogul Hailey Bieber, according to The Independent and NBC News. "The reason why I left my church is that they weren't being accepted. They were being sent to conversion therapies."

Who else has been been outspoken about conversion therapy?

•	Free speech or medical standards? 'Conversion therapy' bans reach Supreme Court

Protesters rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on Oct. 7, 2025, as the justices hears oral arguments on a case involving Colorado's ban on providing conversion therapy to LGBTQ+ children.

Jack Gruber, Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images

What's happening with shutdown talks?

Trump told reporters on Oct. 6 he's open to making a deal on expiring health insurance subsidies, marking a potential breakthrough in the impasse over the federal government shutdown.

"We have a negotiation going on with the Democrats that could lead to good things," he said. USA TODAY's Joey Garrison writes that Democrats have demanded that any bill to fund the government include reversing Republicans' cuts to Medicaid passed this summer and extending subsidies in the Affordable Care Act. If the Affordable Care Act subsidies are not renewed, premiums are expected to double, according to the research organization KFF.

•	President Trump says that some furloughed federal workers "don't deserve" backpay
•	Could the federal shutdown and DOGE cuts tip Virginia's governor's race?

Politics pit stop

•	As Trump talks Diddy, Ghislaine Maxwell pardon requests, here are some celebrities he's pardoned.
•	In Cincinnati, JD Vance's Republican half-brother hopes for a political 'earthquake' in Ohio mayoral race.
•	What does 'FAFO' mean? Pete Hegseth used it amid a long list of Trump acronyms.
•	Trump to meet Edan Alexander, the last American hostage to be released from Hamas, on Oct. 7.

Candidates gear up for Tennessee's special election primary

More than a dozen candidates are running in Tennessee's special election primary on Oct. 7 to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant by former Republican Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from Congress in July to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. President Donald Trump last week endorsed candidate Matt Van Epps in the crowded GOP primary, calling the former state official a "MAGA Warrior."

Tennessee's election winner will be crucial for Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson's ability to lead the chamber. The GOP currently holds a thin 219-214 majority in the House.

Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at SKochi@gannett.com.