From shutdown pay rules to myths about “stress cards” in the military — and even what grand juries really decide — we’re back with another round of Straight From You.
Each week, we take your comments and questions and put them to the test — separating fact from speculation and adding the context you won’t always find in the headlines.
You said:
The question:
Shutdown pay rules: Who gets paid and who doesn’t?
SAN answer:
A viewer wrote that during a shutdown, “Federal agents (ICE) work unpaid. Military work unpaid. Congress still gets paid.”
That’s largely correct. When funding lapses, the Antideficiency Act bars most agencies from issuing pay. Many federal workers are furloughed; others deemed “excepted” — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — keep working but don’t receive paychecks until the government reopens, NPR reports. Active-duty service members also continue working and can see their pay delayed during the lapse. Under a 2019 law, however, all federal employees — furloughed and working — are guaranteed retroactive pay once operations resume.
Members of Congress, by contrast, keep getting paid during a shutdown. Their salaries are covered by a permanent appropriation and grounded in the Constitution’s Article I, Section 6; the 27th Amendment also bars changing congressional pay midterm.
ICE and military personnel may work without immediate pay but must be made whole after the shutdown. Lawmakers’ paychecks continue, even as other federal employees and contractors wait.
You said:
The question:
No, the US military doesn’t issue ‘stress cards’
SAN answer:
A viewer says he saw a soldier flash a yellow “stress card” to duck a uniform order. Here’s what the record shows — and why this rumor is back.
“Stress cards” that excuse troops from orders or discipline are a myth. Snopes traces it to the 1990s, when the Navy briefly handed out “Blues Cards” listing support contacts; some recruits reportedly tried to raise them during discipline, and the practice ended. The Army has used stress-control aids to gauge anxiety, but former drill sergeants told Task & Purpose they were health tools, not hall passes, and the Army publicly debunked the rumor years ago.
Why now? The topic resurfaced as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump rolled out a tougher “warrior ethos” agenda at Quantico — new gender-neutral fitness standards, restored shaving rules and a broader push to “rebuild” the force.
In a recent interview, Hegseth invoked “stress cards” while arguing that training had gone soft.
Task & Purpose notes the legend persists, but the “flash a card and walk away” story remains an urban legend.
You said:
The question:
From probable cause to beyond a reasonable doubt: The Comey case
SAN answer:
A viewer notes: “Only 14 of 23 grand jurors voted to indict — now you need 12 of 12 to convict beyond a reasonable doubt?” Here’s how those thresholds differ.
In the James Comey case, reporting shows the grand jury approved charges with 14 votes and declined another proposed count. That’s enough under federal rules: grand juries have up to 23 members, and 12 votes meet the bar to indict. A grand jury’s job is limited — deciding whether there’s probable cause to bring a case, not whether the defendant is guilty.
A trial is a different test. A trial jury typically has 12 jurors, and a conviction requires a unanimous verdict that the government proved each element beyond a reasonable doubt — a far higher standard than probable cause. Defense counsel can also challenge the indictment and evidence before trial, and jurors will hear both sides of the story in open court.
A grand jury vote of 14 clears the charging threshold, but it doesn’t forecast the outcome at trial. To be indicted is not to be convicted; the presumption of innocence remains unless and until a unanimous jury finds guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Keep dropping comments, asking questions and SAN will tackle the biggest ones next week on Straight From You.
Ella and the staff at Clear Media Project (CMP) curate these articles.
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