Except for timely election info, the extensive list of voting resources will now be at the end.

“There’s a reason why you separate military and police. One fights the enemy of the State. The other serves and protects the People. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the State tend to become the People.” ~ Commander Adama, “Battlestar Galactica” (“WATER”, Season 1 episode 2, at the 28 minute mark.)

INTRO FOR ELECTIONS [Audio]: “Let me warn you and let me warn the Nation against the smooth evasion which says, “Of course we believe all these things; we believe in social security; we believe in work for the unemployed; we believe in saving homes. Cross our hearts and hope to die, we believe in all these things; but we do not like the way the present Administration is doing them. Just turn them over to us. We will do all of them- we will do more of them; we will do them better; and, most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything.”~ From  Franklin D Roosevelt speech to the 1936 Democratic NY State Convention – 1936

1. The Joint General & Special Election is November 4.
   1. Early Voting began on Monday, October 20.
   2. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot for Harris County is past.
   3. HarrisVotes-dot-COM has a list of voting centers.
   4. Early voting runs through Friday October 31^st. All voting centers are open Monday through Friday from 7am to 7pm.
   5. On election day, Tuesday November 4, the polls are open from 7AM – 7PM.
   6. It’s important to note that if you are on line to vote before 7pm, you cannot be turned away, even if polling hours have passed.
   7. HarrisVotes-dot-com has a “What’s On My Ballot” link, which you can access from this show post at ThinkwingRadio-dot-com. You can fill in your name and address and see your particular ballot.
   8. If you’re voting in person, you can print your ballot, mark it with your choices, and you are permitted to bring that paperwork to the polling place as a reference. But you must take it with you when you leave.
   9. Other counties should have similar voting information links, as well as the Texas Secretary of State at VoteTexas-dot-gov.
2. From last week but still relevant, from HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA — Houston voters can get free rides to and from the polls; By Adam Zuvanich | HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA.ORG | Posted on October 17, 2025, 12:21 PM (Last Updated: October 17, 2025, 12:44 PM). TAGS: Elections, Harris County, Houston Local News, Transportation, Voting2025, Election, Early Voting, Election Day, Harris County Election Day, Metro, METRO Free Transportation,
   1. Houston-area residents who plan to vote in the upcoming election can again get free rides to and from the polls from the region’s public transit provider.
   2. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is continuing an election-season tradition by offering free rides to voters … during the early voting period, which [runs through] Oct. 31, [as well as on Election Day on Nov. 4.] The promotion applies to METRO’s buses and light rail lines, along with its curb2curb microtransit service and METROLift program, an ADA-accessible paratransit service.
   3. The agency said [last week] that in order to take advantage of the free rides, passengers need to show their voter identification or “other approved documentation” to the operator or fare inspector. METRO did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about other acceptable forms of documentation.
   4. [MIKE: In spite of my own additional efforts, I have been unable to get better clarification than that. Continuing …]
   5. The free round-trip rides will be offered from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. [Monday through Friday]… during early voting, and from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day. …
   6. Harris County will operate 70 polling locations during early voting and about 600 on Election Day.
   7. METRO passengers can plan their trips to the polls by using the RideMETRO app or by visiting org.
   8. MIKE: The specific instructions for how to ride METRO for free to vote can be found at the link I’m providing at RideMetro-dot-org. According to the Voting web page at RideMetro-dot-org, it says in part: “… METRO will provide free rides to and from polling locations during early voting from Monday, Oct. 20 to Friday, Oct. 31, and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4. Upon request, show your voter ID or other approved documentation to ride free.”
   9. MIKE: As the HPM story mentions, precise instructions of what kind of documentation to show are absent. I also don’t know how they can limit citizens to free rides to the polls just once.
   10. MIKE: Having contacted METRO by phone and by email with specific questions on how this works, I still can’t offer any better clarification, and as of Friday night, nothing on the METRO web site has changed. That’s a real disappointment.
   11. MIKE: I think that the easiest course for those planning to take METRO to the polls is to have your actual voter registration card — the one sent to you by the state of Texas that is no longer sufficient to actually vote — and show that to the driver. You may also want to have a Texas state photo ID, if possible.
   12. MIKE: Drivers may be vague on how the free ride to a polling place works, so if you try it, be prepared for a little confusion.
3. Last week, I published a list of my suggestions for how to vote on the 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. For your information, I’m providing a link to that in this show post at ThinkwingRadio-dot-COM.
   1. REFERENCE: Mike’s Voter Guide: Recommendations on the 2025 Texas Constitutional Propositions;
4. MIKE: You might recall that there is a petition campaign to recall John Whitmire as Houston Mayor. They need thousands of signatures. They have a linked calendar, but for your convenience and as a public service, I’m listing the locations, dates and times that they will have tables where you can sign up.
   1. Monday, October 27: LGBTQ+ Banner Drop, 4:30 at Montrose Blvd and I-69 bridge
   2. Monday, October 27: EaDo Civic Club, 6:30pm at Saint Charles Studios
   3. Monday, October 27: Urbanist Book Club, 6:45 at Empire Café, 1732 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098
   4. Tuesday, October 28: Harris County Young Dems, 6:00pm at Axel Rad (Upstairs Balcony), 1517 Alabama St, Houston, TX 77004
   5. Tuesday, October 28: Pack City Hall, 6:00pm at City Hall, 901 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002
   6. Saturday, November 1: Urban Harvest Farmers Market from 8am-12pm, 2752 Buffalo speedway Houston TX 77027
   7. Saturday, November 1: Air Alliance Bike Ride from 8:30am-9:30am at 1721 16th St Galena Park, TX
   8. Saturday, November 1: Moody Park celebration from 9:30-5pm at Moody Park Celebration
   9. Saturday, November 1: Planting for Shade from 10am-2pm, at 3616 Briley St, Houston, TX 77004
   10. Saturday, November 1: Fiel Celebration 3pm-9pm at Bering Memorial United Church of Christ, 1440 Harold St, Houston, TX 77006
   11. Sunday, November 2:10:00am–2:00pm: Farmers Market Navigation, 2600 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003
   12. Sunday, November 2: 1:00–2:00pm: People for Polk, Bohemeo’s, 708 Telephone Rd, Houston, TX 77023, USA
   13. Sunday, November 2: 6:00–8:00pm: Greater Heights Democratic Club, 3106 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
5. SNAP Program Threatened: 900,000 Houston-Area Lives Impacted; Zorrie Jones, Content Gatherer | CLICK2HOUSTON.COM | Published: October 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM/ Updated: October 22, 2025 at 3:51 PM. Tags: SNAP, SNAP Benefits, Food Relief, Government Shutdown, Food Insecurity, News, Local, Texas, Houston
   1. Millions of Texans who rely on SNAP benefits are facing uncertainty as the government shutdown puts these essential programs at risk.
   2. From Houston to the Greater Houston Area, hundreds of thousands could go without food assistance if the shutdown continues into November.
   3. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — better known as SNAP — provides monthly benefits to help families afford groceries. If the government shutdown continues, benefits could stop for millions nationwide, including hundreds of thousands right here locally.
   4. … In Harris County, 642,890 people may not receive their SNAP benefits. That’s 300,486 families who receive $395 monthly in SNAP benefits who could go hungry if the shutdown continues, with children ages 5–17 being the most affected.
   5. Harris County is just one part of the story. Across the region, thousands more families in surrounding counties could also see their SNAP benefits disrupted if the shutdown continues. Here’s a closer look at how other counties could be affected:
   6. Brazoria Cty: ~15k families, $392/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: adults 18–59
   7. Chambers Cty: ~1700 families, $401/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: adults 18–59
   8. Fort Bend Cty: ~29k families, $385/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: adults 18–59
   9. Galveston Cty: ~18k families, $360/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: adults 18–59
   10. Liberty Cty: ~8,600 families, $432/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: children 5-17
   11. Matagorda Cty: ~2,600 families, $378/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: adults 18–59
   12. Montgomery Cty: ~24k families, $399/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: children 5-17
   13. Waller County: ~2,600 families, $361/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: adults 18–59
   14. Wharton Cty: ~2,600 families, $390/month in SNAP benefits. Most affected: children 5-17
   15. [So,] Nearly 900,000 residents across 10 Houston-area counties could lose essential food assistance if the government shutdown continues, and the impact is already being felt by families struggling to put food on the table.
   16. To help inform families in need, KPRC 2 has compiled a list of food assistance resources in the Houston area that offer immediate food relief, meal services, and additional support — without long waitlists or complicated paperwork.
   17. MIKE: The article includes a link to those resources that you can access at ThinkwingRadio-dot-Com by clicking on the story link.
   18. MIKE: This current crisis is caused by Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to call the House into session to negotiate and pass a budget resolution in order to prevent the Epstein files from being released, and the fact that Republicans in the House are not publicly pressuring him to call the House back into session in order to avoid embarrassing Trump with the release of names in the Epstein files.
6. Alamo Trust president resigns after Dan Patrick calls for her removal; by Kayla Guo and Alejandro Serrano | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Oct. 23, 2025, 2:29 p.m. Central/Oct. 24, 2025, 4:53 p.m. Central. TAGS: Alamo Trust, Dan Patrick, Indigenous People, Bexar County, City Of San Antonio,
   1. The president of the Alamo Trust, which manages the historic site, resigned after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on her to [do so over] views she expressed in a doctoral dissertation in 2023 suggesting she disagrees with Republican leaders.
   2. Kate Rogers said Friday that she had submitted her resignation Thursday with “mixed emotions” following a letter that Patrick sent the Alamo Trust’s board of directors about Rogers’ writings that he said were “incompatible with the telling of the history of the battle of the Alamo.”
   3. [Rogers said,] “It became evident through recent events that it was time for me to move on. I am incredibly proud of the team we built and the work we did together over the past 4 and a half years. I remain grateful to the board for this incredible opportunity that enabled me to grow both personally and professionally and to our state’s leadership and the Legislature for their generous support.”
   4. Later Friday the Alamo Trust board announced former Secretary of State Hope Andrade would be the organization’s next president and chief executive. Neither Alamo Trust officials [nor] a spokesperson returned requests for comment sent Friday via email and text.
   5. In the excerpt of her dissertation that Patrick posted on social media, Rogers described the competing politics of Republican state leaders, who want the 1836 battle to be the primary focus of the Alamo’s redevelopment, and of local officials from Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, who have pushed for the project to “tell the full story of the site including its beginning as a home to Indigenous people.”
   6. [Wrote Rogers, who was serving as the Alamo Trust’s executive director at the time,] “Personally, I would love to see the Alamo become a beacon for historical reconciliation and a place that brings people together versus tearing them apart, but politically that may not be possible at this time.”
   7. She added, “for all these reasons, I had to be very careful with my study and its implications as it could have negative consequences” for the Alamo project, “as well as my job.”
   8. In her EdD dissertation, which examined the role of historic sites and museums in supporting social studies instruction in K-12 classrooms, Rogers also described the “conservative agenda” of the 2023 legislative session. She noted bills that “ban educators from teaching Critical Race Theory,” and “prohibited the discussion of slavery.” And she discussed the book, “Forget the Alamo,” which argued that maintaining chattel slavery was a primary motivator in the Texas fight for independence. 
   9. [Rogers wrote,] “Perhaps the biggest dilemma for me as a researcher … had to do with my own political views and my current environment. Philosophically, I do not believe it is the role of politicians to determine what professional educators can or should teach in the classroom. Instead, teachers should be afforded the autonomy to make those decisions based on their own expertise as well as the needs of their students.”
   10. Patrick’s successful call for Rogers’ ouster was just the latest flashpoint in a long-running debate over how the story of the Alamo should be presented. Republican state leaders have largely demanded the site remain focused on the 13-day siege and legendary 1836 Battle of the Alamo, rejecting broader narratives that address the Indigenous people of the area and consider the role slavery played in the Texas Revolution.
   11. Patrick’s urging was also the most recent instance of Republican state leaders moving to oust people from their jobs over perceived differences in political ideology.  A handful of professors, administrators and students at public universities in Texas have been fired or expelled over the past few months after conservative lawmakers seized on evidence that they had mocked the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk or discussed LGBTQ issues in classroom settings.
   12. In a statement Thursday, Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, urged the board of the Alamo Trust to give Rogers “all due consideration and the full opportunity to contextualize her writings.”
   13. [Martinez Fischer said,] “Alamo Trust President and CEO Dr. Kate Rogers has done the unimaginable: As recently as yesterday, indicators have shown the Alamo Plan is on time and on budget, all with Dr. Rogers at the helm.”
   14. The roughly $500 million restoration and expansion of the Alamo includes a new museum and visitor center, which is slated to open in 2027 and include eight galleries that cover the history of the Alamo from its Indigenous context through the Battle of the Alamo and its legacy in Texas.
   15. In 2015, the General Land Office — which oversees the Alamo — Bexar County and the City of San Antonio agreed to a set of “guiding principles” that include telling “the entire history of the Alamo area” and embracing “the continuum of history to foster understanding and healing.”
   16. In his letter to the board, Patrick wrote that, “of course the entire story of the Alamo will be told, but the overriding emphasis must be on the ‘13 Days of Glory,’ as nearly 200 men gave their lives to defend liberty and freedom for Texas.”
   17. He added that he would “continue to defend the Alamo today against a rewrite of history.”
   18. MIKE: It’s important to put this new Battle of the Alamo into proper perspective.
   19. MIKE: To get elected, Republicans have been making bald-faced lies and using scare tactics on their constituents for decades. Now, Republicans with government power are making lies into “official” history.
   20. MIKE: It seems that “1984” has arrived. It’s just 40 years late.
   21. MIKE: The Right wants history to be what they want. Facts don’t matter. Evidence doesn’t matter. They want everyone to be educated in the historical fantasy that gives them pride and comfort.
   22. MIKE: I consider myself a reasonably well-read person. I don’t delve deeply into scholarly historical tomes, but I read digested versions of history and news from many diverse sources. I tell people that my knowledge base is a mile wide and an inch deep, except in the places where it’s 6 inches deep.
   23. MIKE: I mean that to say that I’m not an expert in lots of things, but there are things I know a lot about. In other words, I try to know as much as I can in the broad strokes.
   24. MIKE: Over the last 10 or 15 years, the internet has taught me and shown me histories I never knew and facts I never knew, and it ticked me off that these histories were news to me.
   25. MIKE: It’s that I really try to have a fairly broad knowledge base that learning so-called “secret histories” — what are really suppressed histories — upset me.
   26. MIKE: Until the internet, I didn’t know that the British caused a famine in the Bengal region of India as a complex result of WW2 wartime setbacks, military policy requirements, and civilian administrative malfeasance.
   27. MIKE: And I certainly didn’t know that Tejanos — Mexican Texans — had significant roles in Texas independence, or that many American-Texians were fighting for the preservation of slavery after Mexico abolished it in 1829.
   28. MIKE: I also have learned that, just like people, all nations are complicated. And just like people, and just like the song says, nations prefer to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.
   29. MIKE: But there’s something else I’ve learned over the course of my life that made me understand why teaching truth in history is really important, and it started in grade school when a history teacher taught us something that might be called “off book”.
   30. MIKE: We were learning about the War of 1812 and the chapter about the British attacking and burning Washington DC. He told us that the British attack on our capital didn’t come out of nowhere. In fact, it was retaliation for the American attack and burning of the then-Canadian capital of York in April of 1813.
   31. MIKE: I remembered this over the decades, but had never confirmed it with a source. With the arrival of the internet, I did some research in 2000 to see if I could find evidence of it.
   32. MIKE: The internet was still relatively sparse in those days, and search as I might, I couldn’t find anything on it until I happened upon a Canadian website that discussed it.
   33. MIKE: Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to correct a tour guide at the Capitol and a park ranger at the site of the Battle of New Orleans, that had omitted that detail. They not only didn’t seem to object, they actually expanded on it a little for the tourists present.
   34. MIKE: So here’s the lesson learned about how we should teach history. The history we don’t like to teach is still taught and remembered by peoples and nations that the history happened in and to.
   35. MIKE: Canada and Mexico teach and remember their history with the United States very differently from the way that Americans teach and remember our history with them.
   36. MIKE: And that’s the crux of the issue. In our relations between people and nations, we can’t manage and negotiate with them properly until we understand their feelings toward us and why they have those feelings.
   37. MIKE: Wars in the European Balkans are still being fought from the repercussions of invasions that took place a thousand years ago.
   38. MIKE: There are Americans who still have hard feelings about the American Civil War six generations later. And there are Mexicans and Canadians who remember feeling unfairly treated and attacked by the United States.
   39. MIKE: It’s said that the winners write the history, but that’s only half true. The losers write their own versions of history, and the truth usually lies in a mixture of both. We can’t effectively manage interpersonal or international relationships until we have some knowledge of both histories. That leads to a certain amount of empathy, and if both sides share knowledge of each other’s versions of history, it can facilitate mutual understandings.
   40. MIKE: So to circle back to the point of all this, hiding history at The Alamo or anywhere ultimately hurts no one but ourselves.
   41. MIKE: And the ‘Dan Patricks’ of this country — and of the world — are only fooling themselves to think otherwise.
   42. REFERENCE: Indigenous Peoples Day post revives debate over how the Alamo’s history should be told; by Kayla Guo 24, 2025
7. Along these same lines comes this story from the BBC — US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces; Tom Bateman, State Department correspondent | BBC.COM | Oct. 22, 2025. TAGS: United States, Human Rights Abuses, US State Department, Human Rights Reporting Gateway (HRG),
   1. … The US State Department has removed an online portal for reporting alleged human rights violations by foreign military units supplied with American weapons.
   2. The Human Rights Reporting Gateway (HRG) acted as a formal “tip line” to the US government.
   3. It was the only publicly accessible channel of its kind for organisations or individuals to inform it directly of potentially serious abuses by US-armed foreign forces.
   4. Its deletion has been condemned by human rights campaigners and by a senior congressional aide who drafted the law requiring it. The State Department insisted it was still abiding by the law.
   5. The portal was established in 2022 following pressure on successive administrations to abide by updated provisions of the Leahy Law, named after former US Senator Patrick Leahy. These require the government to “facilitate receipt” of information on alleged gross violations of human rights by military units supplied by Washington.
   6. Among the cases submitted via the HRG was the alleged excessive use of force by security forces during anti-government protests in Colombia, while several cases were due to be submitted relating to US-armed units of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the occupied West Bank, according to Amnesty International.
   7. Tim Rieser, former senior aide to Senator Leahy who wrote the 2011 amendment mandating information gathering, told the BBC the gateway’s removal meant the State Department was “clearly ignoring the law”.
   8. He added it was a further sign that “the entire human rights architecture” within the department was being “rendered largely ineffective”.
   9. [Said Mr Rieser,] “The United States will find itself supporting foreign security forces that commit heinous crimes even though nothing is done about it. As a result, there will be less incentive for foreign governments to bring people who commit such crimes to justice.”
   10. In response, the US State Department insisted it was continuing to receive reports regarding gross violations of human rights and was engaging with “credible organisations” on a full spectrum of human rights concerns. It said: “The Department abides by its legal requirements”.
   11. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has overseen a sweeping reorganisation of the State Department involving widespread layoffs and eliminating some offices focused on human rights monitoring. The department this year released a slimmed-down annual human rights report which critics said omitted alleged crimes by US allies, but included those by foreign leaders the Trump administration opposes.
   12. The department has previously said its restructure made it leaner and more efficient and followed President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy which sees some human rights promotion as ideologically driven.
   13. Charles Blaha, former Director of the Office of Security and Human Rights at the State Department, said people in the field would now have “no established channel” for reporting gross violations of human rights by foreign security forces.
   14. [Said Mr Blaha who is now an adviser to the Washington-based think tank Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN),] The government’s ability to deter abuses was “severely weakened.”
   15. The BBC learned during the summer that the HRG site was earmarked for deletion. Its removal was highlighted by DAWN in August but has not previously been acknowledged by the State Department. The BBC confirmed this week that officials phased out the reporting channel during the department’s restructure.
   16. Screengrabs of the portal taken by the BBC before its deletion show it asked for information on US-armed foreign military units involved in alleged abuses including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, torture and rape. It required extensive details to ensure credible reporting including unit names, identities of alleged perpetrators, specific locations and dates.
   17. Blaha had already voiced frustration that despite the HRG passing its pilot phase, the Biden administration had not done enough to publicise it, meaning the provision to “facilitate receipt” of information was still not being fully honoured before the Trump administration deleted the channel entirely.
   18. The US is the world’s biggest contributor of military aid to foreign countries, supplying funding, equipment, training and arms to more than 150 nations. Its vetting procedures to prevent arms going to units involved in breaches of international law have evolved over the years, with the 1997 legislation named after Senator Leahy being one its major pillars.
   19. At the heart of the law is Congress sending a message to the administration that taxpayer funding cannot support human rights abuses abroad, says Amanda Klasing, who oversees government relations at Amnesty International USA.
   20. [Klasing told the BBC,] “If I’m a member of Congress, my perspective is: ‘I want to protect my constituents and their taxpayer funding from going to torturers or people that kill their own citizens for protesting.”
   21. Klasing oversaw the compilation and submission of several reports to the Human Rights Reporting Gateway.
   22. These included allegations that American arms were used by Colombian security forces during mass anti-government protests in 2021, in which at least 47 people were killed and many wounded according to the group. Amnesty says among the arms were US-supplied high-capacity launchers for stun and smoke grenades.
   23. Klasing says she had also gathered evidence relating to the killing of 20 Palestinians during IDF raids in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in October and November 2023. Amnesty was preparing to submit its report on these incidents to the HRG before its deletion.
   24. MIKE: This is another example of the Trump regime, and like-minded Republicans, trying to hide or ignore inconvenient truths, and echoes the previous story about removing inconvenient history from The Alamo.
   25. MIKE: Rightwingers just can’t handle the truth.
8. The test for U.S. citizenship is about to get harder; By Adrian Florido | NPR.ORG | October 16, 2025@3:52 PM ET. TAGS: Trump Administration, Green Card Holders, Citizenship, Naturalization,
   1. The Trump administration is making it harder to pass the oral exam required for immigrants seeking naturalization as U.S. citizens. The new test is also longer.
   2. Green card holders who file for citizenship after Oct. 20 will have to answer twice as many questions correctly during the civics interview that tests their knowledge of U.S. history, politics and government and that is one of the final steps in the naturalization process. The list of possible questions will also get longer and include more difficult questions.
   3. A spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Matthew Tragesser, said in a statement when the changes were announced recently that the new test will ensure “that those joining us as fellow citizens are fully assimilated and will contribute to America’s greatness.”
   4. It’s just one of several changes the Trump administration has instituted to make citizenship harder to earn as it seeks more broadly to limit the ability of immigrants and visa holders to enter, remain or settle in the U.S.
   5. The citizenship test that USCIS has used since 2008 requires applicants to answer six questions correctly out of 10. The new test will require 12 correct answers out of 20. The list of possible questions the agent chooses from will grow from 100 to 128, and many will be more difficult.
   6. Questions about U.S. holidays and geography and others with short answers – “What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?” – are being reduced or eliminated, and replaced with tougher ones: “Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?” (Answer, according to the study guide: “To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait.”) Another new question: Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War? (Answer, according to the study guide: “To stop the spread of communism.”)
   7. Aside from the tougher civics test, applicants for citizenship will also have to convince an immigration officer that they have “good moral character.” Until now, the absence of bad behavior or criminal conduct on an applicant’s record has been enough. Now, they’ll need to submit evidence of their “positive contributions to American society.” Immigration officers will also more rigorously check applicants’ backgrounds, possibly interviewing co-workers, family members or neighbors.
   8. Advocates who help people prepare for the citizenship test say the changes present more obstacles in an already challenging and cumbersome process.
   9. [Said Julie Mitchell, legal director of the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles, which offers citizenship courses,] “It’s hard to imagine that these changes don’t have a negative impact on the number of people who are able to continue the naturalization process. Particularly considering that these changes will impact individuals with low literacy levels and those who don’t have access to classes and preparation materials.”
   10. She said the naturalization process could also become more uncertain, because it’s unclear what standards immigration officers will use to assess “good moral character.”
   11. Speaking in Washington last month, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said that the current test is “just too easy” because some questions require simple answers, like naming the governor of an applicant’s home state, or two federal holidays.
   12. [Edlow said,] “We need to know more. Especially if we’re going to really understand whether someone has a true attachment to the Constitution as required by the statute.”
   13. But Amanda Frost, a professor of immigration law at the University of Virginia and the author of You Are Not American, a book about the history of citizenship stripping, said that while requiring applicants for citizenship to jump over hurdles is appropriate, there’s no proof that the existing naturalization process is falling short.
   14. [Frost asked,] “Has there been any evidence that we’re allowing people to naturalize who don’t share our values, and don’t make for good participants in our democracy? I don’t see any evidence of that.”
   15. She notes that nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.
   16. [Frost said,] “Those who naturalize, and their children, thrive in the United States, and have benefited this country.”
   17. MIKE: These are the 128 Civics Questions on the new citizenship test. Acceptable answers are provided for the practice test, but the actual exam is not multiple choice. As I read the questions, think about how many you can answer. There is a link in this show post if you want to test yourself and see the answers. And following are the instructions for the test:
   18. Listed below are the 128 civics questions and answers for the 2025 version of the civics test. These questions cover important topics about American government and history. The civics test is an oral test and the USCIS officer will ask you to answer up to 20 out of the 128 civics test questions. You must answer at least 12 [out of the 20 randomly selected] questions correctly to pass the 2025 version of the civics test.
   19. On the civics test, some answers may change because of elections or appointments. Visit gov/citizenship/testupdates to find any answers that may have changed on the civics test. You must answer the question with the name of the official serving at the time of your naturalization interview.
   20. Although USCIS is aware that there may be additional correct answers to the civics questions, applicants are encouraged to respond to the questions using the answers provided below.
   21. … If you are 65 years old or older and have been living in the United States as a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the 20 questions that have been marked with an asterisk (*) found at the end of each question. You may also take the civics test in the language of your choice.
   22. The USCIS officer will ask you to answer 10 out of the 20 civics test questions with an asterisk. You must answer at least 6 out of 10 questions (or 60%) correctly to pass the 2025 version of the civics test.
   23. MIKE: Next are the questions:
   24. What is the form of government of the United States?
   25. What is the supreme law of the land? *
   26. Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
   27. The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
   28. How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
   29. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? *
   30. Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
   31. What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
   32. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
   33. The words “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” are in what founding document?
   34. What is the economic system of the United States? *
   35. What is the rule of law?
   36. Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
   37. There are three branches of government. Why? [MIKE: I’m including these answers because the current state of our US government makes the answers darkly and ironically funny.] The 3 acceptable answers are: So one part does not become too powerful; Checks and balances; Separation of powers.
   38. Next; Name the three branches of government.
   39. The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
   40. What part of the federal government writes laws?
   41. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
   42. Name one power of the U.S. Congress. *
   43. How many U.S. senators are there?
   44. How long is a term for a U.S. senator?
   45. Who is one of your state’s U.S. senators now?
   46. How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
   47. How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
   48. Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?
   49. How many senators does each state have?
   50. Why does each state have two senators?
   51. Name your U.S. representative.
   52. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? *
   53. Who does a U.S. senator represent?
   54. Who elects U.S. senators?
   55. Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?
   56. Who elects members of the House of Representatives?
   57. Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?
   58. The President of the United States is elected for how many years? *
   59. The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why? [MIKE: Again, I’m including these answers because of the current state of our US government.]: (Because of) the 22nd Amendment; To keep the president from becoming too powerful.
   60. What is the name of the President of the United States now? *
   61. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? *
   62. If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
   63. Name one power of the president.
   64. Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
   65. Who signs bills to become laws?
   66. Who vetoes bills? *
   67. Who appoints federal judges?
   68. The executive branch has many parts. Name one.
   69. What does the President’s Cabinet do?
   70. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
   71. Why is the Electoral College important?
   72. What is one part of the judicial branch?
   73. What does the judicial branch do?
   74. What is the highest court in the United States? *
   75. How many seats are on the Supreme Court?
   76. How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?
   77. How long do Supreme Court justices serve?
   78. Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?
   79. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
   80. Name one power that is only for the federal government.
   81. Name one power that is only for the states.
   82. What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
   83. Who is the governor of your state now? *
   84. What is the capital of your state?
   85. There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
   86. Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?
   87. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States?
   88. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? *
   89. Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
   90. How can people become United States citizens?
   91. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
   92. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
   93. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
   94. It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.
   95. The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
   96. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? *
   97. What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
   98. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
   99. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
   100. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? *
   101. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
   102. The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
   103. There were 13 original states. Name five.
   104. What founding document was written in 1787?
   105. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
   106. Why were the Federalist Papers important?
   107. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
   108. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. *
   109. Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
   110. James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
   111. Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.
   112. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
   113. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
   114. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
   115. The Civil War had many important events. Name one.
   116. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. *
   117. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
   118. What U.S. war ended slavery?
   119. What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?
   120. When did all men get the right to vote?
   121. Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s.
   122. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
   123. Why did the United States enter World War I?
   124. When did all women get the right to vote?
   125. What was the Great Depression?
   126. When did the Great Depression start?
   127. Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II?
   128. Why did the United States enter World War II?
   129. Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.
   130. Who was the United States’ main rival during the Cold War?
   131. During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
   132. Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
   133. Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?
   134. What did the civil rights movement do?
   135. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. *
   136. Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?
   137. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States? *
   138. Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
   139. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
   140. Name one example of an American innovation.
   141. What is the capital of the United States?
   142. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
   143. Why does the flag have 13 stripes? *
   144. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
   145. What is the name of the national anthem?
   146. The Nation’s first motto was “E Pluribus Unum.” What does that mean?
   147. What is Independence Day?
   148. Name three national U.S. holidays. *
   149. What is Memorial Day?
   150. What is Veterans Day?
   151. MIKE: So, how did you do? How many do you think you answered correctly?
   152. MIKE: How many of these questions do you think could have been answered correctly — or at least, acceptably — by the average native-born American citizen?
   153. MIKE: Maybe more importantly, how many of these questions could have been answered acceptably by any person elected to any office — local, state, or federal —in the United States?
   154. MIKE: In my opinion, anyone running for office should get tested on these questions and should be required to score at least 75 or 80%. If they don’t know these answers, they probably have no business governing or legislating for the rest of us.
   155. MIKE: And they should all be able to pass a basic government civics test to be on a ballot.
9. Artillery shell exploded prematurely over California freeway during marines celebration; By Diana Ramirez-Simon and agencies | THEGUARDIAN.COM | Sun 19 Oct 2025 20.07 EDT. TAGS: California, JD Vance, US military, West Coast, Gavin Newsom, news, US Marine Corps, Live Fire Exercise,
   1. A live artillery shell exploded prematurely during a Marines live-fire demonstration that launched over a southern California freeway in celebration of the military branch’s 250th anniversary, raining shrapnel down on a California Highway Patrol vehicle and a motorcycle that was part of JD Vance’s detail, according to a police report.
   2. The New York Times reported that fragments that fell from the 155mm shell landed on vehicles parked on a ramp on Interstate 5 – a major artery through southern California – which governor Gavin Newsom had ordered closed after learning that military officials had no plans to close the freeway.
   3. Vance, a Republican and former enlisted marine who served in Iraq, visited the base in north San Diego county with defense secretary Pete Hegseth to celebrate the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary, and [to] watch troops put on a show of amphibious vehicles and Marines demonstrating a beach assault.
   4. An officer described hearing something that sounded like pebbles hit his motorcycle and the area around him, according to the patrol report. Others saw a 2in (5cm) piece of shrapnel hit the hood of a patrol vehicle and leave a small dent. The report says shrapnel was also found on the road near the motorcycle.
   5. The [California Highway Patrol, or CHP] closed a 17-mile (27km) stretch of the highway for periods before and during the Saturday exercise, in a surprise announcement early on Saturday morning. The last-minute closure caused severe traffic delays on Saturday morning and early afternoon.
   6. The exercise was canceled after the shell prematurely exploded, CHP said, and the area was swept for shell fragments but none were found. A spokesperson for the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton told the New York Times that the Corps was aware of the CHP report and that an investigation was under way.
   7. Newsom had strongly objected to what he called an “absurd show of force” and [was] “totally uncalled for”.
   8. [The Democratic governor said in a statement,] “The president is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety. Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn’t just wrong – it’s dangerous. Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with isn’t strength – it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office he holds.”
   9. [MIKE: Well, Trump did suggest using US cities for training opportunities. I guess this is how it begins. Continuing …]
   10. US Marine officials had said there was nothing unsafe about the exercise at Camp Pendleton, where firing artillery is a routine occurrence, and that it was unnecessary to disrupt traffic on I-5, which is the main highway along the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles.
   11. [Tony Coronado, California Highway Patrol’s division chief, said of the incident on Saturday,] “This was an unusual and concerning situation. It is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur over an active freeway. As a marine myself, I have tremendous respect for our military partners, but my foremost responsibility is ensuring the safety of the people of California and the officers who protect them.”
   12. State transportation officials ultimately made the decision to close the freeway after practice firings Friday evening and a request from event organizers for signage along the road stating “overhead fire in progress.”
   13. [Matt Rocco, a California Department of Transportation spokesperson, said,] “This is all because of the White House-directed military event, that for the safety of the public, we need to shut down the freeway since they’re sending live ordinances over the freeway.”
   14. The I-5 closure caused significant backups for those commuting between San Diego and Los Angeles. The freeway carries 80,000 travelers and $94 million in freight through the corridor daily, according to the governor’s office. Passenger rail services running parallel to the I-5 were also canceled for the afternoon.
   15. [Republican] Representative Darrell Issa, who represents a district east of the base, called it “a spiteful publicity stunt” by Newsom.
   16. In a statement to the New York Times on Saturday, a spokesperson for Vance, William Martin, said Newsom misled the public about the safety risk.
   17. [Martin said,] “If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose the training exercises that ensure our Armed Forces are the deadliest and most lethal fighting force in the world, then he can go right ahead.”
   18. Newsom posted on social media on Sunday: “We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time, the Vice President and the White House shouldn’t be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity projects.”
   19. MIKE: The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. The fact that a live shell fired over the I-5 freeway exploded prematurely is proof that Newsom was right about the dangers and risks, and the US regime that ordered it was reckless, careless, and indifferent to the risks that this exercise posed to the American public.
   20. MIKE: As I commented earlier in the article, this is more evidence — perhaps intentional, perhaps not — that Trump was serious about using American cities for military training.
   21. MIKE: I can’t imagine any legitimate training purpose or legitimate training function that was served by this exercise, unless it’s just another step in attempting to normalize US military activity on US soil and in US cities.
   22. MIKE: This is just more evidence that we are being governed by a regime that’s running amok.
   23. MIKE: Where are the Republicans in Congress to act as a check on this rampaging president? Or for that matter, ask Speaker Mike Johnson why there is currently no functioning Congress?
   24. MIKE: We can safely assume that Donald Trump couldn’t pass the new citizenship test, but haven’t any of these Republicans learned the answers to questions 13, 15, 18, 31, 33, and 37 on the new test? Don’t they know the legal and Constitutional responsibilities of the offices they hold? Or are they too cowed by the danger of Trump’s tweets to act responsibly?
   25. MIKE: I think we all know the answers to those questions. Elections are happening now. Then we can make a beginning to Election Year 2026.
   26. MIKE: And make no mistake. There will have been no election in the last 80 years more important that the one in 2026.
10. I thought this was an interesting story from THEHILL — NATO chief: Trump ‘completely right’ in reason for holding back Tomahawks; by Ryan Mancini | THEHILL.COM | 10/22/25 8:26 PM ET. TAGS Donald Trump Mark Rutte Vladimir Putin, Tomahawks Missiles, Ukraine,  
    1. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday praised President Trump’s decision to not provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles in its war with Russia.
    2. Speaking with CNN hours after meeting with Trump at the White House, Rutte said that “one specific weapon system” would [not] change the war, whether from other European countries or from the U.S.
    3. [Rutte said,] “And I think what the president explained today is that for the Tomahawk system, and he was completely right here, it takes months for anyone other than American soldiers to be trained on them.”
    4. [Rutte continued, saying,] “So it is not that if you decide today, Ukrainians can use them tomorrow.”
    5. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that it takes about a year to learn how to fire the powerful munition.
    6. [Trump said,] “… there is a tremendous learning curve with the Tomahawk. It’s a very powerful weapon, very accurate weapon, and maybe that’s what makes it so complex. But it will take a year. It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it, and we know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people. It will be too far out into the future.” 
    7. Rutte and Trump agreed that “sustained pressure” on Russia’s economy was needed, NATO’s leader said on CNN.
    8. [Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rutte said,] “You see, therefore, that when Putin feels under threat, that he feels things are moving in the wrong direction, he starts to react and act. So all of this shows that they are not on a sure footing. The Russians and the economy [are] not doing well.”
    9. On Wednesday, the Treasury Department hit Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, with sanctions. This came after Trump canceled a second meeting with Putin in Budapest, Hungary. …
11. Personally, I was at first disappointed to hear that Trump had changed his mind about sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, but it later made sense to me. This was partly due to Mark Rutte’s comments (because I tend not to believe anything Trump says), but also because of remarks about America’s own supply of Tomahawk missiles that I’ve been reading elsewhere. Those remarks made me due a little research of my own, and I came up with a couple of recent articles that were very clarifying. First, from THE ECONOMIC TIMES via MSN.COM — US can spare only limited Tomahawk missiles, likely [with] no major impact on Ukraine conflict; By Don Tomslee, Global Desk | THE ECONOMIC TIMES via MSN.COM | Last Updated: 13 October, 2025 05:47 PM. TAGS: Military Industrial Complex, US Military, Tomahawk Missiles,
    1. The United States could provide Ukraine with only 20 to 50 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Financial Times Experts say such a shipment would have minimal effect on the overall dynamics of the war.
    2. Even if supplied, the missiles would serve primarily as a supplement to Ukraine’s existing arsenal of long-range attack drones and cruise missiles.
    3. [Said Stacie Pettyjohn, director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security think tank,] “They would project a very limited capability, certainly not enough to enable sustained, deep attacks against Russia.”
    4. The US currently maintains an estimated 4,150 Tomahawk missiles. Since 2022, over 120 of the 200 newly procured missiles have already been fired, according to defense analysts.
    5. The Pentagon’s 2026 budget requests funding for only 57 additional missiles. Some stockpiles would also be reserved for potential operations in Venezuela.
    6. … Russia has dismissed the idea that Tomahawks could alter the frontline situation. Moreover, operating such advanced missiles would require US personnel, raising concerns about potential escalation.
    7. Analysts warn that logistical challenges, including transport, coordination, and launch support, could further limit the practical utility of sending Tomahawks to Ukraine.
    8. … Experts describe any deployment of Tomahawks in Ukraine as a high-stakes gamble, unlikely to decisively shift the course of the conflict, though it could carry significant symbolic and political weight in demonstrating US support.
12. Then, in a 2024 story which I’ve excerpted, there’s a somewhat more detailed explanation about why the US really can’t spare any Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine when we actually may not even have enough for ourselves — Why Is the U.S. Navy Running Out of Tomahawk Cruise Missiles?; By Mackenzie Eaglen, The National Interest | AEI.ORG (American Enterprise Institute) | February 13, 2024. TAGS: S. Military, American Weapons, Stockpiles, Tomahawk Cruise Missiles,
    1. … The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is one of the Navy’s premier capabilities and has been a deep strike weapon of choicefor many commanders across conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. As a sea-launched cruise missile designed for land attack, it can be fired from submarines or ships with a range of over 900 miles. Tomahawks, therefore, serve as the Navy’s primary land-attack capability without putting aviators at risk. …
    2. 2023’s entire Tomahawk purchase of 55 missiles accounted for 68 percent of the precision munitions fired at the Houthis in one day. This is an unsustainable rate of expenditure. However, this represents adherence to, rather than deviation from, the norm. …
    3. Firing off more weapons than America buys causes stockpiles to decline quickly. The same weapons reserve the nation would need should Beijing seek to use force to take Taiwan while the United States is supporting wars in two other regions.
    4. Like most of the United States high-tech precision-guided munitions, the Tomahawk suffers from a recent history of inadequate and unstable procurement. In the last ten years, $2.8 billion has been spent on [Tomahawk] procurement by the Navy to procure just 1,234 missiles. …
    5. Considering the U.S. Navy has over 140 ships and submarines capable of launchingTomahawks, new missile buys are spread thinlyacross available fleets, with the last decade’s Tomahawk buys amounting to just 8.8 new missiles per ship. …
    6. While Navy officials have emphasizedtheir effort to expand Tomahawk production, budget documents indicate that production and delivery rates of the missile are set to decline before they improve. Considerable effort and dollars in the White House budget skew towardsmodification and capability enhancements for existing Tomahawks, rather than the purchase of new missiles.
    7. With a minimum sustainment rateof ninety Tomahawks per year required to keep production lines running, the Army and Marine Corpsare barely sustaining production with their buys of experimental land-launched versions of the missile. Additionally, while the Navy is working on increasing the annual production of Tomahawks through sales to allies, it remains to be seen just how much additional production capacity this will create.
    8. Even if the Navy wanted to buy more missiles, it’s not clear that industry could surge to meet demand. Fluctuating Tomahawk buys have led to unstable production rates and poor business planning for the industry and its suppliers. Uneven demand has [created] production bottlenecks of key components like rocket motors, which make it difficult to surge production.
    9. This is concerning given that each new Tomahawk has a two-year long lead time to build. Navy documents indicate that orders from 2023 are not expected to start delivery until January 2025, at a rate of just five missiles per month.
    10. Victory in the next war will require a robust arsenaland deeper magazine depth of our fighting forces. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, US forces launched roughly800 land-attack Tomahawks during the initial invasion. By today’s production rate, that would take us a decade to replenish. Fighting China would certainly require far more—and Beijing knows it.

There’s always more to discuss, but that’s all we have time for today. You’ve been listening to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig from KPFT Houston 90.1-HD2, Galveston 89.5-HD2, and Huntsville 91.9-HD2. We are Houston’s Community radio. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show and found it interesting, and I look forward to sharing this time with you again next week. Y’all take care!