Liberty Blackout Brief Morning Edition

When the spotlight fades the truth starts talking

Oct 23, 2025

The Liberty Blackout Brief tracks ten stories within the past 24 to 48 hours overshadowed by the national news cycle but critical to communities on the ground.

1️⃣ Maine Senate Hopeful Defends Covered Nazi-Style Tattoo – U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine revealed he has covered up a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi Totenkopf symbol . Platner, a Marine veteran running as a Democrat, insists he never knew the tattoo’s Nazi association and has apologized for it and for past offensive social media posts . Why It Matters: The controversy has rocked a high-stakes Senate race, raising questions about accountability and vetting in political campaigns. (Downplayed) — The Guardian

2️⃣ Indiana’s Black Caucus Fights “Mid-Decade” Redistricting – The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is sounding alarms over a fast-tracked effort by the state’s Republican supermajority to redraw congressional districts years early . Caucus leaders say the unprecedented mid-decade redistricting push – openly supported by Donald Trump – could dilute Black voting power through tactics like “cracking” and “packing” minority communities . Why It Matters: With democracy at stake, Black lawmakers warn that manipulating district lines now would silence communities of color and erode fair representation. (Ignored) — Indiana Capital Chronicle

3️⃣ Shutdown Leaves Baltimore Families Hungry – As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, Baltimore officials report a surge in hungry families – many with federal workers – turning to local food pantries . At one West Baltimore church pantry, demand jumped from 75 people a day to over 100 since paychecks stopped, forcing volunteers like Rev. Andre Samuel to restock constantly . Why It Matters: This local crisis shows how a prolonged federal shutdown hits Black working families hardest, even as national headlines move on. (Ignored) — AFRO Baltimore

4️⃣ Toxic Emissions Lawsuit Targets New Pollution Exemptions – Environmental justice groups and Gulf Coast residents are suing the Trump administration over an executive order that exempted 50 chemical plants from stricter rules on cancer-causing air pollutants . The exemption delays a 2024 EPA safety rule by two years – a move advocates say will raise cancer risks in predominantly Black and low-income “fenceline” communities in Louisiana, Texas, Illinois and more . Why It Matters: The case highlights an under-the-radar rollback of pollution controls that threatens the health of communities already burdened by toxic industries. (Ignored) — Inside Climate News

5️⃣ Claims of a “Secret Police” Force Under DHS – An investigative report reveals that under current directives, U.S. immigration agents have been operating with unprecedented secrecy and aggression, alarming even veteran Homeland Security officials . Officers in masks have been arresting people at courthouses and even deporting detainees to foreign prisons; oversight offices that once investigated abuses have been gutted, raising comparisons to “the world’s most repressive regimes” . Why It Matters: With civil liberties at risk, experts see this expansion of unaccountable federal power as a dire warning for minority and immigrant communities. (Downplayed) — Oregon Capital Chronicle/ProPublica

6️⃣ Law Hiring Boom Still Leaves Black Grads Behind - New data from the National Association for Law Placement show 2024 JD employment hit 93.4%, but racial gaps persisted: white grads at 94.7% versus 89.7% for Black grads. In “bar passage required” jobs, the gap widened year-over-year to 86.5% (white) vs 74.3% (Black), as firms retrench public DEI commitments under political pressure. Why It Matters: A hot market didn’t close structural gaps; rollback of DEI programs risks pushing Black graduates further to the margins of the profession. (Downplayed) — Reuters

7️⃣ Cameroon Crackdown as 92-Year-Old Set to Extend Rule – Security forces in Cameroon fired tear gas to disperse opposition protests in the capital and other cities after partial results indicated President Paul Biya, 92, is poised to win a controversial eighth term . More than 20 protesters were arrested and face “rebellion” charges in military court, as Biya’s main rival claims fraud and tensions rise in the central African nation that Biya has ruled since 1982 . Why It Matters: Amid global crises dominating the news, an African leader’s apparent life-long hold on power – and the suppression of dissent that enables it – is drawing little international attention despite implications for democracy and the diaspora. (Downplayed) — Reuters

8️⃣ City Greenlights Face Recognition Despite Bias Fears – Aurora, Colorado’s city council voted to allow police use of facial recognition technology in investigations, reversing a trend of bans elsewhere . The Aurora police say they will only use it for leads, but the ACLU warns the software often misidentifies people of color and women . Why It Matters: This local decision, largely overlooked nationally, could set a precedent even as critics argue that facial recognition’s proven racial biases put innocent Black and brown residents at risk of false suspicion. (Ignored) — CBS News Colorado

9️⃣ Report: Black Americans Still Far Behind Whites – The National Urban League’s annual State of Black America report paints a grim picture of persistent inequality. By the report’s “Equality Index,” Black people attain only 73.9% of the overall well-being that white Americans enjoy – a figure virtually unchanged in years . While there have been modest economic and health gains, Black communities have actually lost ground relative to whites in education, justice and civic engagement since 2005 . Why It Matters: Overshadowed by daily headlines, this data-driven reality check underscores how structural racism continues to hold back progress for Black Americans across multiple facets of life. (Downplayed) — WABE/AP

🔟 NY Prison Guard Convicted in Inmate’s Death – In a rare outcome, a New York jury found a former state prison guard guilty of murder for the brutal beating of Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black inmate, while acquitting two other guards . The 2022 incident – caught on body cameras – showed multiple officers, mostly white, punching and kicking Brooks, who was shackled; six other officers already pleaded guilty, and the governor ordered sweeping prison reforms after Brooks’ death . Why It Matters: The case shines light on the lethal abuse that Black prisoners can face and is prompting urgent calls to change a “rotten” prison system that allowed such violence to happen. (Downplayed) — Reuters

Sources

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/21/graham-platner-tattoo-nazi-00617686
https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/briefs/legislative-caucus-condemns-early-redistricting-campaign-for-diluting-black-voting-power/
https://afro.com/federal-shutdown-impacts-baltimore/
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22102025/gulf-south-residents-sue-trump-epa-toxic-air-pollution-exemptions/
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dhs-ice-secret-police-civil-rights-unaccountable
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/hot-market-law-grads-did-not-erase-racial-gaps-hiring-data-shows-2025-10-22/
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/cameroon-security-forces-disperse-election-protests-biya-poised-eighth-term-2025-10-21/
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/aurora-police-facial-recognition-technology-city-council-approval/
https://stateofblackamerica.org/reports/2025
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/new-york-prison-guard-convicted-inmates-fatal-beating-two-others-acquitted-2025-10-21/

Why it Matters (Oct. 23, 2025): Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is defending himself after revelations that a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest resembled a Nazi Totenkopf symbol. Platner, a Marine veteran and first-time candidate, says he got the tattoo during a drunken night in 2007 and was unaware of its Nazi associations until reporters recently pointed it out . He hastily covered the image this week with a new Celtic knot design . The controversy follows scrutiny of Platner’s now-deleted social media posts – including one asking “Why don’t Black people tip?” and others using coarse or violent rhetoric . Prominent Democrats like Maine Gov. Janet Mills have since entered the race, and while some rivals call for Platner to drop out, he has apologized and insists he’s “not a secret Nazi” as he vows to stay in the race with Sen. Bernie Sanders’ backing .

Specialized & Local Coverage:

Bangor Daily News (Oct 21, 2025) – Video shows Graham Platner with ‘troubling’ tattoo that appears to be a Nazi symbol . Local reporters obtained video of Platner’s tattoo and quoted an ADL spokesperson calling it “troubling” . The story also highlighted Platner’s own Reddit comment asking “why Black people ‘don’t tip’” as part of a pattern of past inflammatory posts .
The Forward (Oct 21, 2025) – Maine Senate candidate comes under fire for Nazi-style tattoo . This Jewish outlet revealed sources who say Platner himself once identified the tattoo as a Nazi “Totenkopf” years ago, contradicting his claims of ignorance . It also noted Platner had defended a man with an SS tattoo at a 2020 BLM protest in online comments, a detail absent from major coverage . Platner’s campaign denies he knew the tattoo’s meaning, calling such claims “a lie from a disgruntled former employee” .
Axios (Oct 22, 2025) – Graham Platner says he’s covered up tattoo recognized as Nazi symbol . This piece summarized the saga, including an ADL statement that the tattoo “appears” to be a Nazi Totenkopf and is “troubling” if true . It also reported that Sen. Bernie Sanders is standing by Platner despite the uproar and mentioned a Jewish Insider report suggesting Platner had acknowledged the Nazi emblem to a friend .
The Guardian (UK) (Oct 21, 2025) – ‘I’m not a secret Nazi’: Maine Democratic Senate candidate addresses tattoo . The British outlet’s coverage, appearing in its U.S. politics section, amplified Platner’s own explanation and apology. It noted he proactively disclosed the tattoo in a podcast and emphasized his “lifelong” opposition to Nazism . The Guardian also unflinchingly cited his “problematic Reddit posts” – for example, that he questioned why Black people tip less and derided police and rural voters – providing international readers with fuller context .

This story spotlights how extremist symbols and racist rhetoric can surface in mainstream politics, raising questions about vetting and accountability in election campaigns . It’s particularly relevant to Black and Jewish communities: a candidate who claims progressive values was found to have worn Nazi-associated ink and made comments stereotyping Black patrons, testing the public’s trust and a party’s moral consistency .

Global Mirror: International coverage has mirrored the U.S. story with added candor. The UK’s Guardian ran Platner’s quote “I am not a secret Nazi” prominently , framing the scandal as a startling twist in U.S. politics and explicitly detailing his offensive Reddit posts (something U.S. network TV glossed over). In India, the Hindustan Times explained the SS Totenkopf symbol’s Holocaust-era history for its readers and noted Platner “vowed to get it removed” . Jewish media like The Forward and Jewish Insider took a sharper tone: they unearthed evidence that Platner knew the tattoo’s meaning and highlighted his critiques of Israel and involvement in a 2020 BLM protest incident.

This overseas and specialty press often went further than U.S. majors in moral emphasis and underscoring the Nazi symbolism and the inconsistency of Platner’s explanations while also questioning how U.S. political circles respond when a purportedly progressive candidate is linked to hate iconography. Notably, foreign outlets did not downplay the racial and antisemitic implications; some even seized on Sanders’ continued endorsement as a point of scrutiny .

These global perspectives add context and pressure that domestic coverage so far approached more cautiously, but they have not introduced fundamentally new facts beyond those surfaced by local and specialized U.S. journalists (such as the ADL’s input and former associates’ accounts). All told, the difference lies in tone and focus: abroad, the moral alarm over a Nazi-style tattoo on a U.S. candidate is loud and clear, reinforcing how such controversies can tarnish America’s image and raising universal questions about extremism in politics.Sources: Major U.S. outlets (AP, Reuters, Fox) and Black-led publications ; court documents and official statements ; on-the-ground reporting from Chicago & Memphis ; international coverage (Al Jazeera) ; ProPublica investigation .

https://apnews.com/article/maine-platner-senate-trump-mills-tattoo-collins-fa8328a3c8aa5d5e0f34adb379e977b8
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/22/maine-platner-senate-trump-mills-tattoo-collins/d90c4a16-af4f-11f0-ab72-a5fffa9bf3eb_story.html
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maine-dem-senate-hopeful-backed-bernie-sanders-apologizes-nazi-style-tattoo-vows-stay-race
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/21/mainefocus/mainefocus-government/maine-senate-election-graham-platner-tattoo-nazi-totenkopf/
https://forward.com/fast-forward/777616/graham-platner-maine-nazi-tattoo/
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/22/graham-platner-tattoo-maine-senate
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/21/maine-graham-platner-tattoo-democrat-senate
https://www.wmtw.com/article/graham-platner-tattoo-covered-up-nazi-totenkopf-skull/69123653
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-what-is-ss-totenkopf-maine-senate-hopeful-faces-fresh-row-after-reddit-posts-101761084362551.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/maine-democrat-platner-on-defense-over-tattoo-takes-page-from-trump-playbook-to-keep-up-senate-bid
About the Liberty Blackout Brief
Each weekday, I dig through hundreds of headlines to surface the stories that vanish between the lines of mainstream coverage, especially those shaping Black life in America and across the diaspora. Every edition is built from verified reporting, court filings, and firsthand sources, fact-checked twice before it reaches your inbox.
KeepMyLightsOn
If you believe independent reporting like this should exist outside corporate algorithms, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support keeps this work free from sponsors, helps fund deeper investigations, and ensures that the stories most outlets overlook never disappear again.
Become a supporting reader.