“Sen. Mitch McConnell is hoarding his committee’s wealth during a crucial midterms cycle for the Republican Party, according to a new federal filing,” the Washington Sun reports. “When the Kentucky senator returned to Capitol Hill in September after a three-month, health-related absence, his campaign committee had nearly $7.4 million waiting for him.” “But McConnell, who […]

“Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, brought one of the most progressive members of Congress, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, to deeply conservative areas of his state’s Upper Peninsula on Thursday,” the New York Times reports.

“Sen. Bernie Moreno wants his fellow Republicans to cancel their holiday plans and jam through ‘everything that we could possibly get’ if they lose the majorities in November’s midterms,” Axios reports.

“In late December, two months before the U.S. war with Iran began, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George warned that his service was critically short on missile defense munitions and that the shortage would last another five years,” CBS News reports. “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted George in April, as the Iran war was […]

Susan Glasser: “At a time when Donald Trump’s party is struggling to hold both houses of Congress and his own approval ratings are cratering to historic lows, the President has been campaigning hard all week against… Volodymyr Zelensky.” “Yes, Trump’s October preëlection surprise is that he’s finally decided to begin openly helping Vladimir Putin in […]

“Rep. Max Miller already faces a difficult re-election bid amid allegations of domestic abuse against his daughter and ex-wife and calls from lawmakers — Republicans and Democrats alike — to quit the race,” the Washington Sun reports. “Adding to the complications: The embattled Republican lawmaker from Ohio is almost $2 million deep in campaign debt, […]

“Chris Cuomo admitted he ‘fucked up’ when he told viewers to be ‘open’ to voting for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election,” Mediaite reports.

“Vice President JD Vance told CBS News on Thursday that anybody who is ‘selling access to the White House’ should ‘suffer consequences.'” Said Vance: “If somebody’s selling access to the White House, that’s disgusting and despicable and they should suffer consequences.”

“The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine ​for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House,” Reuters reports. “The officials said ‌leaders at the Defense Department received a message that the SpaceX Starshield service for the Ukrainian military needed to be slowed.”

“Almost from the moment James Talarico became the Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, the Republicans have circulated ads and attacks suggesting that he is not man enough, not Christian enough, not carnivorous enough — not Texan enough — to flip a conservative seat,” the New York Times reports. “As the midterm elections approach and one […]

“Republicans are playing defense on an expanding electoral map, spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the final weeks of the midterms to prevent a Democratic takeover of Congress as campaigns nationwide reach a fever pitch,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “With less than three weeks until the midterms, deep-pocketed GOP groups are trying to […]

“From the White House grounds to town halls across the country, politicians and candidates have been attempting to block members of the media from covering them — and advocates say it’s raising serious press freedom concerns,” the Washington Sun reports. “The trend has stretched beyond party lines and political positions. Sometimes incidents stem from a […]

“When President Trump announced that Katie Zacharia would serve as the next White House press secretary, he referred to her as an attorney. But she hasn’t passed the bar exam in the U.S,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Zacharia sat for the California bar exam after graduating from law school at Pepperdine University in 2011, […]

“Senate Democrats announced Wednesday that they have recruited and trained more than 100 congressional staff members for a new election observer program as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to undermine confidence in elections ahead of the midterms,” MS NOW reports.

“President Donald Trump told an Arizona crowd Wednesday that President Joe Biden is to blame for inflation, hours after the government reported that consumer prices had climbed again — with gas prices driving the increase,” the Washington Sun reports. Said Trump: “Whenever I have a news conference, somebody will stand up, say, ‘Mr. President, affordability.’ […]

“The ouster of Kimberly Guilfoyle, who until this week was the U.S. ambassador to Greece, was surprising in its particulars. It was announced on live TV, during the first-ever briefing by the new White House press secretary,” the New York Times reports. “But Ms. Guilfoyle’s forced resignation also was part of a larger pattern in […]

“President Donald Trump bragged about deploying troops to the southern border without congressional approval, mocking former President Joe Biden’s emphasis on congressional oversight,” Mediaite reports. Said Trump: “You just do it! You’re the president!”

“Ukraine was blindsided by new limits placed on satellite connectivity inside the country that handicapped its ability to use military drones and defend against Russian attacks,” MS NOW reports. “After bipartisan backlash on Wednesday, Elon Musk said it was the U.S. not his company SpaceX that provides the systems, that made the call.”

“On the eve of an election that could turn on affordability, the nation is getting less affordable,” the New York Times reports. “That’s the takeaway from today’s inflation report, which deepened Republican gloom as it revealed that rising energy costs, largely driven by the war with Iran, have pushed prices up with a few weeks […]

A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll in Minnesota finds Peggy Flanagan (D) leading Michele Tafoya (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 45% to 42%. Minnesota Senate Race Peggy Flanagan (D) 45%   Michele Tafoya (R) 42%   KSTP/SurveyUSA poll · likely voters · ±4.2%

“President Donald Trump called for executing individuals who leak information to the media during a campaign rally as he railed against what he saw as critical coverage of the Iran war,” Bloomberg reports. Said Trump: “In my opinion, leakers should be shot. They should be shot. In the old days, we used to shoot leakers. […]

A new Fox News poll finds President Trump’s approval at 36%, while 64% disapprove — a new low for this survey. Trump Approval Approve 36% Disapprove 64% Fox News poll · registered voters · ±2.5%

“The Trump administration’s investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is aimed at building a case to strip her of her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deport her,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The multipronged effort is focused at least in part on how Omar obtained her citizenship after she arrived in the U.S. from Somalia decades […]

“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine views were a major factor in shelving an Agriculture Department avian flu response plan, a pause that’s alarming lawmakers as wild birds begin migrating for the winter,” Politico reports.

“The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration in a monthslong fight over who is entitled to low rates for political ads,” the New York Times reports. “The emergency order, which was unsigned and did not give a vote count, marked the latest time that the justices have weighed in on an obscure […]

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is headed to New Hampshire this weekend to campaign for Democratic candidates in the November election, a continuation of his reconnaissance tour through swing states in preparation for a possible 2028 presidential run,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “The trip follows voyages to other early primary voting states, including South Carolina […]

“President Donald Trump has to keep his administration’s taxpayer-funded political ads off the air through the midterms, a federal judge ruled Wednesday,” the Washington Sun reports.

“Diesel prices in the United States are hovering near record highs — and a deal President Trump announced last week to increase Russian fuel exports is unlikely to lower them significantly anytime soon,” the New York Times reports. “The amount of diesel Russia could supply under that agreement is much lower than what the country […]

John Ellis: “Over the course of at least two decades, powered by tens of billions of dollars of negative advertising, political campaigns have told the electorate that elected officials (or those seeking public office) are horrible, lying, thieving miscreants. After a while, people might get the idea that elected officials are horrible, lying, thieving miscreants.” […]

A new The Economist/YouGov poll finds Donald Trump’s approval at 34%, while 61% disapprove. Trump Approval Approve 34% Disapprove 61% The Economist/YouGov poll · adults

“Michael Whatley’s campaign has temporarily gone dark in North Carolina,” Politico reports. “The Republican Senate nominee does not currently have future linear TV ad reservations booked in the race, a highly unusual move less than three weeks before Election Day in a state that was once considered a top GOP priority.”

“The Justice Department on Friday issued about a dozen subpoenas as part of an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, including to members of her family,” NBC News reports. “The congresswoman herself was not subpoenaed, the source said, adding that the orders seeking information are tied to a federal grand jury in Minnesota, Omar’s home state.” […]

“The Trump administration pushed for an unusually aggressive search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s house in recent days in an immigration fraud probe that targets the congresswoman, possible false statements made on government documents, and a potential conspiracy, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation,” CNN reports. “Prosecutors, however, first had to contend with a […]

Punchbowl News: “Inflation continues to crush Republicans, with Election Day less than three weeks away.” “The Consumer Price Index, a solid gauge of changes in prices for Americans, jumped 3.7% on an annual basis. The spike was driven by a sharp increase in energy prices — the price of gas is up an eye-watering 9.1%. […]

A new InsiderAdvantage poll in Georgia finds Rick Jackson (R) leading Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) in the governor’s race, 49% to 47%. Georgia Governor’s Race Rick Jackson (R) 49% Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) 47% InsiderAdvantage poll · likely voters · ±3.46%

“Americans’ trust in their fellow citizens’ democratic judgment has fallen to its lowest recorded level in more than five decades, according to a new Gallup survey,” Axios reports. “Americans’ growing distrust of political leaders and institutions now extends to one another, with Democrats and Republicans showing similar levels of skepticism.”

“The United States is sending several hundred Army soldiers to train and conduct exercises with local forces in Latin America as the Pentagon expands its campaign to combat drug trafficking in the region,” the New York Times reports.

“Ohio’s early in-person voting has drawn nearly four times as many voters as it did at the same point in the 2022 midterm elections, according to data from the Ohio secretary of state’s office,” MS NOW reports.

“Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration is prepared to defend lawfully cast ballots in court if President Donald Trump or other federal officials attempt to throw out votes, particularly in cases that affect the outcomes of close congressional races,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. “‘They’re going to try to stop certain votes from being counted,’ Shapiro […]

A new YouGov poll in Iowa finds Josh Turek (D) leading Ashley Hinson (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 47% to 46%. Iowa Senate Race Josh Turek (D) 47% Ashley Hinson (R) 46% YouGov poll · likely voters · ±3.1% The same poll in Iowa finds Rob Sand (D) leading Zach Lahn (R) […]

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Rating changes this week leave us with five Senate Toss-ups, all in Republican-held seats.” “Republicans now need four of these five Toss-ups (Kansas, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, and Texas), although all of these save the Pine Tree State are naturally red states where it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Republicans hold on.” Bloomberg: […]

A new Quinnipiac University poll in Connecticut finds Ned Lamont (D) leading Ryan Fazio (R) in the governor’s race, 58% to 38%. Connecticut Governor’s Race Ned Lamont (D) 58% Ryan Fazio (R) 38% Quinnipiac University poll · likely voters

“President Trump has directed his White House counsel to examine explosive allegations dropped on him Friday in the Oval Office:,” Axios reports. “Former Trump attorney Alina Habba told the president that another one of his top advisers — former Kennedy Center leader Ric Grenell — failed to deposit a multimillion-dollar donation that her billionaire husband […]

“Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday said she would be campaigning later this month in Mississippi, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, as part of her tour to support Democratic candidates in the midterms,” the New York Times reports. Roll Call: National leaders crisscross the country at campaign crunch time.

“Donald Trump filed a notice of appeal of a judge’s ruling that has put on hold the White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the grounds,” Deadline reports.

“As President Donald Trump and his administration have ratcheted up pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries, citing harm to American consumers, they have remained silent on recent Russian strikes on U.S. businesses in Ukraine,” CNN reports. “Russia has escalated its attacks on facilities tied to American corporations – and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine […]

“Rep. Nancy Mace’s former fiance and two of his business associates were charged with sex crimes and voyeurism on Wednesday over an episode the South Carolina congresswoman described in detail during a speech last year on the House floor about how crimes against women are not investigated thoroughly,” the Associated Press reports.

“America’s inflation problem is becoming harder to contain, with new evidence Wednesday that price pressures are extending beyond the war-related energy shock rattling the global economy,” Axios reports. “Inflation is squeezing household budgets and dimming hopes for relief. It is also increasing the prospect that the Fed will have to raise interest rates further.”

“Senator Collins paid for the bullets at Donald Trump’s command. Now she wants credit for not pulling the trigger.” — Maine U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson (D), at a debate with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

“The head of a top Republican super political action committee said a batch of key states are the party’s ‘red wall’ heading into next month’s election and that the GOP is focused on bolstering Senate candidates in races including Iowa, Alaska, Maine and Ohio where Democrats are making surprising inroads,” Bloomberg reports.