CNN

President Donald Trump took part in an event celebrating Diwali Nov 13 at the White House alongside several administration officials. During the ceremony, President Trump teased Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who was in the room. "I just didn't like one decision he made but that's all right," President Trump said as he was introducing Pai, potentially referencing Pai's decision on a merger between Sinclair and Tribune Media. "Not even a little bit. He's independent," President Trump joked, as the group of administration officials behind him laughed.

Americans living in "news deserts" with few or no local news outlets may be in a bind now that it's time to vote in the midterm elections. Fewer and fewer reporters are employed by the papers that typically cover community and state-level races. More and more of the papers are going out of business altogether. As a result there is less vetting of candidates and more confusion about what's even on the ballot. Americans have new tools in their hands -- cell phones with access to Facebook and other websites -- but social networks don't fill the void left by local reporters.