Rob Ford Was Back at the World Series 

Hello, it’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️

This is a TPM deep cut.

As some of you may know, TPM has a long and illustrious history with the late former mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. Back in 2013, Ford gained international infamy after he was filmed smoking crack. That revelation led to a series of cascading scandals including super racist rants, drunken misconduct and more crack videos — and that’s a partial summary.

Naturally, with a scandal this brazen, bizarre, and corrupt, TPM had to include Ford in our annual Golden Duke awards that year. We even journeyed to Toronto in January 2014 to follow his escapades and attempt to get inside his head. Ultimately we (sort of) managed to make Ford the only winner in the storied history of the Dukes to accept a physical trophy. 

While TPM clearly delighted in the whole ridiculous episode, this wild tale was filled with dark elements, too. Ford’s story was filled with tragedy including his alleged domestic abuse and the deep impacts of addiction. And, in hindsight, Ford’s political rise, which was built on bombast, a unique brand of right-wing populism, and a refusal to be deterred by ethics or shame, was an early harbinger of the Trump era.

The world lost Ford to a rare form of cancer in March 2016. However, for one brief shining moment, his memory was back thanks to the rapper Drake.

During game one of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, the cameras caught Drake with a very special item of clothing. In perhaps the ultimate tribute to Toronto, which is his home city, Drake wore a varsity jacket from Don Bosco, a local school where Ford coached youth football until being ousted amid his many scandals. Ford famously wore his own Don Bosco jacket and Drake’s was emblazoned with the late mayor’s name. 

TPM attempted to reach Drake’s management team to see if the jacket was a copy or the real deal. We did not receive a response. We were similarly ghosted by the office of Ford’s brother, Doug Ford, who has since become premier of Ontario and a prominent Trump antagonist. Doug has told Canadian news outlets he thought Drake’s jacket was “cool.” We can forgive Doug for ignoring us since, way back when, he was the one who accepted the TPM Golden Duke on his brother’s behalf. 

We are certain Rob Ford, who was a devoted local sports fan, would have appreciated having a presence at Toronto’s first World Series appearance in over 30 years. By the time you read this, the Blue Jays may have pulled off a win. This reporter is rooting for them since the Dodgers were stolen from Brooklyn and have damaged the sport of baseball with their outrageous contract deferrals and cozy deals with the NPB. However, most importantly, we want them to win it for Rob. 

Rest in peace, king. 

— Hunter Walker

Project 2025’s Future Redistricting Fight

The Trump administration has stalled the implementation of a rule that was created to improve how the U.S. counts non-white Americans. Now, experts and advocates are concerned the delay could impact the 2030 Census, the way resources are allocated to vulnerable communities, and potentially be used to help Republicans obscure race considerations in future redistricting fights.

Passed during the Biden administration, the updated policy broadened the way the federal government surveys race and ethnicity, and advocates hoped it would be rolled out in time for the 2030 Census. Project 2025’s authors targeted the policy, saying it could be used to “bolster progressive political agendas.” 

Because of the role Census data and race play in redistricting considerations, delaying the implementation of best-practice race and ethnicity data collection will muddy the information available about majority-minority areas — which also tend to support Democrats — when it next comes time to draw congressional district maps, experts told TPM.

“It is not a coincidence,” Marina Jenkins, head of the National Redistricting Foundation, told TPM, “that this delay is happening at a time when Republicans across the country are working overtime to pass gerrymanders that silence millions of voters, particularly voters of color.”

Read my full story here. 

— Layla A. Jones

Ohio Dems Forced to Compromise

In a win for the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to reshape Congress by forcing red states to engage in mid-decade gerrymandering, the Ohio Redistricting Commission approved a new congressional map on Friday. 

The map was approved in a 7-0 vote by both Democrats and Republicans on the commission. Earlier this week Democrats were pressured to accept a bipartisan agreement on a map that favors Republicans to prevent Republicans from passing an even more gerrymandered map.

Both the commission and the state’s General Assembly have a Republican majority. If the commission had been unable to approve a new map in advance of the 2026 elections, the Republican-led General Assembly would have the authority to do so, likely resulting in a map that hurts Dems more than the bipartisan version. 

As it stands now, Ohio has 15 congressional seats, 10 of which are Republican and five of which are Democrat. The new map will flip two districts currently held by Democrats, for Republicans.

So far, North Carolina, Missouri, and Texas have all approved new gerrymandered maps, quickly caving to pressure from the Trump White House to redraw maps to ensure Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House in the midterm elections. 

— Khaya Himmelman

Trump Demands Something Some Senate Dems Welcome 

We’re officially a month into the government shutdown and President Trump is calling for the “nuclear option” … abolishing the filibuster.

“BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE GONE STONE COLD ‘CRAZY,’ THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday night, less than a day after returning from his Asia trip.

While this may be one Trump administration action that Democrats who support abolishing the filibuster may welcome, Trump’s post could complicate things for congressional Republicans, especially since rank-and-file senators are reportedly making some progress in conversations with Dems around ways to reopen the government.

As you may remember, Thune poured cold water on the idea of getting rid of the filibuster when Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) publicly mused over the idea last month.

“Super-majority requirement is something that makes the Senate the Senate,” Thune said during an October press conference. “And honestly, if we had done that, there’s a whole lot of bad things that could have been done by the other side. The 60-vote threshold has protected this country.” 

Following the Trump post, a spokesperson for Thune reiterated that “Leader Thune’s position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged.”

It is unlikely that an effort to end the filibuster would succeed in the current Senate as Republicans like Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) would likely block any effort.

— Emine Yücel