Vought sounds layoff siren: ‘The RIFs have begun’ … It's unclear how many people were laid off and Vought provided no further details.  —  But an administration official granted anonymity to discuss the layoffs said they hit agencies including: Interior, Homeland Security, Treasury, EPA, Commerce, Education, Energy, HHS and HUD.

The Justice Department's Dangerously Weak Case Against Letitia James  —  Lindsey Halligan didn't have a strong case against Letitia James.  She indicted her anyway.  —  Meet The Authors … Earlier this week, the Justice Department seemed poised to pursue an indictment …

Regarding the Compact  —  The U.S. Department of Education recently sent MIT and eight other institutions a proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” along with a letter asking that MIT review the document.  —  From the messages I've received, I know this is on the minds …

Transcript: Trump ICE Raids Worsen as Pritzker Drops Bombshell Warning  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the October 10 episode of the Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  (After we recorded, a judge temporary blocked National Guard deployments in Illinois).

Announcement, Nobel Peace Prize 2025  —  The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace - to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.  —  The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to Maria Corina Machado.

Inside billionaire Peter Thiel's private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction  —  The Washington Post reviewed leaked audio from four off-the-record lectures the tech investor delivered in San Francisco over the last month that fused beliefs about religion and technology.

Criminal charges against Bolton expected as early as next week  —  Federal prosecutors could charge Trump's former national security adviser as early as next week, sources told MSNBC exclusively.  —  The acting U.S. Attorney in Maryland is moving forward quickly to seek criminal charges …

DHS top lawyer says ‘no legal barrier’ to actions officers can take to defend federal property  —  In a memo obtained exclusively by The Handbasket, Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers were given free rein. … Staffers at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement agency received …

Some killed in explosion at Hickman County plant felt miles away — everything we know  —  Kirsten Fiscus Vivian Jones Craig Shoup Angele Latham Liz Schubauer Austin Hornbostel Hadley HitsonNashville Tennessean  —  Hickman County emergency services are warning people to stay away …

Hegseth announces Qatar will build air force facility at U.S. base in Idaho  —  Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced a finalized agreement that will allow the Qatari Emiri Air Force to build a facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

“Less Than a Ham Sandwich”  —  SHERO is a reader-supported publication that makes most articles free and available to the public.  Please support independent journalism for everyone by becoming a paid subscriber today.  —  Federal prosecutors dismissed charges on Wednesday against three …

Indian immigrant fights deportation after police mistake perfume labeled ‘Opium’ for the narcotic  —  Kapil Raghu, 28, was arrested in May after an officer in central Arkansas spotted the rollerball perfume bottle in his car during a routine traffic stop.  —  An Indian immigrant who was working …

Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump for ‘decisive support’ … Machado's win is underscored by a sweeping conflict in Venezuela, where the country has been entangled in a political and humanitarian crisis for years, only worsening under the presidency of Nicolás Maduro.

WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square  —  A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.  —  Debbie Brockman, who has worked …

1 big thing: The 22 states close to (or in) recession … - Their problems are driven largely by a mix of slowing immigration, increasing tariffs and federal job cuts, Zandi argues.  — The analysis is based on Zandi's calculation of where things stood in the economy at the end of August …

Trump's antifa roundtable made some wild claims about Portland.  Here's the truth about 7 of them  —  President Donald Trump held a roundtable on Wednesday, which featured prominent administration officials and independent journalists, billed as a “Roundtable on antifa.”

Johnson describes planned No Kings rally as ‘hate America,’ ‘pro-Hamas’ gathering … The No Kings movement first sprang up as counter-programming to a military parade spearheaded by the White House in June, leading to the largest coordinated demonstration against Trump to date since his return to the Oval Office.

UPS is ‘disposing of’ U.S.-bound packages over customs paperwork problems  —  Shifting Trump tariffs have created a nightmare for UPS, as thousands of packages from overseas pile up at its hubs while they await customs clearance.  —  Thousands of U.S.-bound packages shipped by UPS are trapped …

Americans Are Falling Behind on Their Car Payments  —  Delinquency rates on subprime auto loans are at records  —  One of the cylinders in the U.S. economic engine is causing some sputtering.  —  Since the pandemic, buyers on auto-dealer lots have encountered surging sticker prices …

Is This What ‘Late-Stage Democracy’ Looks Like?  —  What if the Constitution *is* a suicide pact?  —  ∙ Paid  —  Sarah and I did a meatspace Secret pod for you.  It's not emo, exactly, but it's not a normal show.  We just asked each other a bunch of questions and hung out.

Senate Shame  —  I first came to the Senate in early 1970—55 years ago!  I worked for George McGovern, but most of the time I was working for a coalition of five senators seeking an end to the war in Vietnam—including three Republicans, Jacob Javits and Charlie Goodell of New York, and Mark Hatfield of Oregon.