Totally Brazen.  Comically Corrupt.  Painfully Dumb.  —  Twenty-six days into the government shutdown, we got an actual, meaningful development this morning.  The American Federation of Government Employees—a union that has regularly fought Donald Trump's assault on the federal workforce this year …

Trump Says a Recent M.R.I. Scan Was ‘Perfect,’ and He'd ‘Love’ a Third Term  —  President Trump made the comments on the second day of his trip to Asia.  The Constitution limits presidents to two terms, but Mr. Trump has suggested he might try to circumvent it.

Trump Nixing of Dem State Disaster Aid Backfires, Screwing MAGA Voters … In recent days, President Trump has approved federal disaster aid for the red states of Nebraska, North Dakota, Missouri and Alaska while denying it to the blue states of Maryland, Vermont, and Illinois.

ICE's Hiring Surge Is Already a Disaster  —  It's cutting standards and racing to hire exactly the wrong people, precisely as predicted. … ICE, turbocharged by $75 billion in new dollars, is in a huge rush to hire, train, and deploy 10,000 new deportation officers.

Hunger, Bribes and Sociopathy  —  As food assistance runs out and a billionaire offers money for troops, Trump dances in Malaysia  —  Some 42 million Americans rely on federal food stamp benefits to stave off hunger, including millions of children.  At the end of this week on Nov. 1 …

Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats' brand, new report warns  —  THE SCOOP  —  Democrats have badly weakened their party with left-leaning ideas and rhetoric, growing only with self-described “white liberals” while losing ground with other voters, according to a new center-left group's report shared first with Semafor.

How Jack Smith's strongest case against Donald Trump collapsed  —  Seeking to get the classified documents case to a jury before the 2024 election, the special counsel made a fateful decision that some in his office saw as a misstep.  —  This story is adapted from the forthcoming book by Leonnig and Davis …

186. When Can States Prosecute Federal Officers?  —  Stephen Miller claims that ICE officers have “immunity” for anything they do while enforcing immigration law.  Even as an argument about *state* criminal prosecutions, that claim is overstated at best.  —  Welcome back to “One First,” …

Accusing Jordan Silverman  —  Jordan Silverman still isn't sure he wants me to write this story.  —  He isn't sure if he wants me to publish his real name (I have), his photo (I have not), or the real names of his partner and kids (I have not).  —  Silverman says he wants to clear his name.

Scoop: Graham Platner's campaign manager is out … - Platner's former political director, Genevieve McDonald, also previously departed the campaign.  — Politico reported that before Brown's start date, another aide, Daniel Moraff, worked as the de facto campaign manager, according to McDonald.

Eugene Debs and All Of Us  —  On Saturday night, I witnessed a ballroom full of stout Midwesterners—railroad men and laborers, college professors and students, retirees and young parents—stand and say, in unison, “While there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element …

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun calls a special session to redraw the state's congressional boundaries  —  Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.  Share  —  Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun called Monday for state lawmakers to return …

DC's only outdoor statue of a Confederate general is back in a Judiciary Square park  —  On Saturday, the National Park Service returned the statue of Brig. Gen. Albert Pike to its home after being in storage for over five years.  —  The only statue of a Confederate general in the nation's capital …

The Venezuela Boat Strikes and the Justice Department's Golden Shield  —  Please click here to opt in to receive via email our Roundup—brief daily summaries of news developments and commentary related to executive power.  —  Many commentators have argued that the Trump administration's Venezuelan boat strikes are unlawful.

How Riley Gaines and the trans panic steal from horror films  —  Fake victims like Gaines evoke the little girls of “The Exorcist” and “The Conjuring”  —  On paper, former swimmer Riley Gaines is a puzzling choice for MAGA's appointed “victim” of trans people.

3 Scandals in 4 Days That Would Define Any Other Presidency  —  During the second Trump administration, corruption scandals that would typically define a presidency receive a day or two of coverage.  —  Part of the issue is that for Trump, enriching himself and his family is one of the core purposes of his presidency.

The GOP's antisemitism crisis  —  On October 8, two of the biggest voices in right-wing media sat down for a nearly four-hour chat.  The host was Dave Smith, a libertarian Jewish comedian who has made a name for himself as a vocal critic of Israel's war in Gaza.

Trump Hammers His Own ICE Goons to Suck Up to Foreign Leader  —  RAID ANGER  —  He is slamming ICE over a raid at a U.S. Hyundai plant as he prepares to meet with South Korea's president.  —  President Donald Trump has bizarrely claimed he didn't look too kindly on the massive ICE raid of a Hyundai manufacturing plant in Georgia.

‘This Is About Voter Intimidation’: Gavin Newsom Is Calling Out Trump's Bid to Control Elections  —  California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is on to President Donald Trump's plan to undermine free and fair elections.  —  Newsom warned in a post last week that the Department Of Justice's (DOJ) …

The economy is in uncharted territory  —  Data went dark this month.  The government shutdown is halting the collection and release of statistics tracking the job market, public health and crop production, as well as other economic indicators. … - Investors watch the numbers so closely that they can drive big stock reactions.

Exclusive: US Department of Energy forms $1 billion supercomputer and AI partnership with AMD  — Supercomputers to help harness fusion energy, treat cancer  — Lux supercomputer to come online in six months  — Discovery supercomputer to be ready in 2029

Economist Paul Krugman probably didn't have the Erie Canal in mind today when he wrote about the rise of renewable energy, but he could have.  The themes are similar.  —  In his newsletter, Krugman noted that renewables have grown explosively in the past decade, spurred by what he calls …

Bessent says China to delay rare earths rules by a year, buy U.S. soybeans  —  U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that he anticipates that China will revive substantial purchases of U.S. soybeans for several years and will delay its expanded licensing regime for rare earths …

29-year-old anarchist arrested for alleged $45K hit on Pam Bondi: FBI  —  An anarchist with a lengthy rap sheet has been arrested for allegedly putting a $45,000 hit out on US Attorney General Pam Bondi on TikTok, according to the feds.  —  Tyler Maxon Avalos, 29, was nabbed on Oct. 16 …

Trump: I'd ‘love to’ run in 2028  —  With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine, Ali Bianco and Rachel Umansky-Castro  —  On today's Playbook Podcast: Jack and POLITICO White House reporter Megan Messerly preview next week's elections, plus Thursday's meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.