News briefs

Tribune News Service on Oct 27, 2025

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Trump rules out VP gambit but would ‘love to’ run for third term

President Donald Trump ruled out the idea of running as a vice presidential candidate in the 2028 election, as some of his supporters urge him to find ways to circumvent the Constitution’s prohibition on a president being elected to three terms.

“It’s too cute,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, saying he would not pursue the idea.

Some backers of the president have floated the idea of a different candidate running for the top job and naming Trump as their running mate, with the understanding that they would immediately resign the presidency and elevate him back into the Oval Office.

Trump said he would be “allowed to” attempt that maneuver but that he did not think it would have popular support. “I think the people wouldn’t like that — it wouldn’t be right,” Trump said.

—Bloomberg News

Illinois residents to see 78% average cost increase for Affordable Care Act exchange plans if subsidies expire

CHICAGO — Illinois residents will pay an average of 78% more across the state for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange if Congress does not extend enhanced premium tax credits — the issue at the heart of the current government shutdown — state regulators said Monday.

Illinois residents who have health insurance through the exchange will begin receiving letters this week from the Illinois Department of Insurance outlining how their costs may increase next year, said Morgan Winters, director of Get Covered Illinois, the state’s new marketplace for Affordable Care Act plans.

About 91% of Illinois residents with exchange plans get the enhanced premium tax credits, which lower the monthly costs of their health insurance, said Ann Gillespie, director of the Illinois Department of Insurance.

“Some of them are going to lose their coverage entirely,” Gillespie said of what will occur if the enhanced subsidies are allowed to expire. “But everybody is going to be hit by this.”

—Chicago Tribune

Kirk shooting suspect permitted to wear plain clothes in court

A judge in Utah said the 22-year-old man accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk can wear civilian clothes in court rather than his jail fatigues, but he’ll have to appear with some form of physical restraints.

A defense lawyer for Tyler James Robinson argued that allowing the suspect to appear in plain clothes was necessary to “maintain the presumption of innocence” and protect his right to a fair trial. Judge Tony F. Graf agreed during a virtual court hearing Monday.

But Graf said the serious nature of the charges and the emotional nature of the proceedings “raise the risk of disruption,” so Robinson must wear the “least restrictive restraints necessary to maintain safety.” The judge also barred the media from taking photos or videos of Robinson’s restraints before, during or after court appearances.

Robinson, who has yet to enter a plea in the case, faces a possible death penalty in connection with the shooting death of Kirk last month.

—Bloomberg News

On Ukraine, European leaders and top senators are in sync

WASHINGTON — Senators who hope to pass a package of Russia-related bills sometime soon are hoping to leverage gathering momentum in both Washington and Europe to dry up more of Russia’s pool of warfighting funds.

But Ukraine still lacks all the weapons its leader says the country needs to defend itself, starting with Tomahawk cruise missiles — and it is not clear if those systems will ever be sent or if America will ever again spend its own appropriations to arm Ukraine.

In Washington, once lawmakers resolve the impasse over funding the government, a bipartisan group of senators is hoping for what they are calling “Russia Week” — a chance to pass bills such as broad Russia sanctions and legislation spelling out a process to send to Ukraine $5 billion in frozen Russian assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

The week of Oct. 20 was something of a Russia Week in its own right. The European Union took action in just the areas the Senate wants to explore, and then some, and so did President Donald Trump in a limited but potentially significant way.

—CQ-Roll Call