Words This Friday (WTF) with Dr. Kyle Dell

Executive Director Dr. Kyle Dell breaks down the words making headlines this week in “Words This Friday” (WTF) — a quick, insightful look at the language shaping our news and civic conversations.

Vote Smart is grassroots: no ads, no agendas, just facts. Your support helps keep it that way.

U.S. House Passes Legislation Targeting Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

Source 1: CNN, Source 2: New York Post

President Trump Files $10B Defamation Lawsuit Over January 6 BBC Edit

Source 1: Newsmax, Source 2: CBS News

Record-Valued U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan Announced

Source 1: Fox News , Source 2: NPR

Key Votes Viz by Region: West, South, Midwest, Northeast

Congress

House Passed HR 3632 - Power Plant Reliability Act of 2025

House Passed HR 4371 - To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance efforts to combat the trafficking of children

House Passed S 284 - Congressional Award Program Reauthorization Act

For full details on each bill, visit our Vote Smart Issue Summary page.

State

Ohio (OH) – Governor Mike DeWine Signed SB 33 - Authorizes Employers to Post Certain Labor Law Notices on the Internet

North Carolina (NC) – House and Senate Passed SB 249 - Amends State Congressional Districts 1 and 3

New Jersey (NJ) - Governor Phil Murphy Signed S 317 - Amends the Athletic Training Licensure Act to Authorize Athletic Trainers to Provide Care to More Individuals

Democrat Gary Clemons, of Kentucky, won his special election race on December 16, 2025, against Republican candidate Calvin Leach for state Senate District 37 by a wide margin of 72.6% to 25.1%. Kentucky’s top Democrat, Gov. Andy Beshear, said in an online post on Bluesky that Clemons’ victory continued “the trend of Democrats outperforming previous elections by wide margins all over the country.”

Republican state representative Troy Romero, of Louisiana, resigned his House District 37 seat on December 14, 2025, to accept a federal agriculture position. Rep. Romero has served in the state house since 2019 and most recently served on the state Legislative Agriculture Committee. In an online post, Former Rep. Romero expressed gratitude, saying he is “truly grateful” for the experience. A special election primary to select his replacement has been called for February 7, 2026.

2025 Ballot Measures: California, Colorado, Maine, New York, Texas, and Washington

This week, there were regular and special elections across the country. Click on the links below to view the results:

Acts of Courage

"I allowed a senior lady to complete her grocery purchase ahead of me and proceeded to help her place her purchases in her vehicle plus opened her car doors for her. Lovely lady"

Jose, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Share your Act of Courage to be highlighted in next week’s Digest!