Top Items:
Alex Isenstadt / Axios:
Scoop: Trump pours millions into Virginia, New Jersey races — President Trump's political operation is digging into its massive war chest to bankroll a multimillion-dollar voter turnout effort in the final days of the New Jersey and Virginia governor races, Axios has learned.
Discussion:
New Republic, WKMG, RedState, KRDO, Joe.My.God., CBS News, Associated Press, twitchy.com, Fox News, New Jersey Online and NewsMax.com
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Jonathan Martin / Politico:
Trump Is the Democrats' Best Campaigner … The mere fact of his election last year handed Democrats a powerful turnout lever in blue-leaning New Jersey and Virginia, but Trump has further undermined GOP hopes in the two states with his conduct and has seemingly abandoned California Republicans.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Zolan Kanno-Youngs / New York Times:
As the Shutdown Pain Grows, Trump Attends to Other Matters — The president attended a Halloween party Friday and called attention to the marble renovation of a White House bathroom. — American families are worried about losing food stamp benefits. Hundreds of thousands …
Discussion:
Hopium Chronicles, HuffPost, NPR, Straight Arrow News, Raw Story, Wake Up To Politics, Washington Examiner and OutsideTheBeltway
Bloomberg:
Democrats Seek Winning Message for Midterms in Key 2025 Clashes — Democrats who've struggled to find a message that will stick are calling in the party's top star, former President Barack Obama, to help flip a governorship from red to blue and set an example for candidates trying to win back Congress next year.
Discussion:
Newsmax
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Shutdowns, Obamacare and the Risks of Bargaining for Policy Wins in a Crisis — A 2013 attempt to leverage minority power in a health care fight blew up on Republicans. Can today be different for Democrats? — The last time Obamacare was at the center of a federal shutdown …
Discussion:
Salon, Reuters, WIBC 93.1 FM, Politico and NOTUS
Alexandra Marquez / NBC News:
Government shutdown effects bear down on millions more people after a crucial Nov. 1 deadline passes — Despite a judge's ruling ordering the administration to fund SNAP benefits, President Donald Trump said that November's payments were likely to be delayed.
RELATED:
Politico:
Nearly 42 million Americans lose their food stamp benefits … For now, states, food banks and nonprofit organizations are scrambling to backfill the loss of critical federal dollars, however temporary it may be, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. — “It's going to get ugly fast,” …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Fox News, Forbes, The Handbasket, Mediaite, Raw Story, NBC News, Washington Examiner, CT News Junkie, KRDO, masslive.com, Axios, The Hill and Advocate
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
October 31, 2025 — Yesterday a reporter asked Representative Joe Neguse, a Democrat of Colorado, about the administration's withholding of reserve funds Congress intended would fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “If we come to November first, and these contingency funds …
Associated Press:
Judges order Trump administration to use emergency reserves for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, The Hill, Law Dork, Wonkette, New Jersey Globe, Hackwhackers, Reuters, Axios, The Maine Wire, CNN, @amuse, WTOP News, masslive.com, NewsMax.com, CourtListener, The Guardian, Portland Mercury, Associated Press, RedState, New York Times, Blaze Media, CNBC, New Republic, Office of the Governor, CT Mirror, City & State Pennsylvania, The Daily Caller, El País, PBS NewsHour, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, New Jersey Online, KFF Health News, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun Times, The Portland Press Herald, Scripps News, JURISTnews, Straight Arrow News, The Contrarian, Grabien, Washington Post, The Mahablog, Jay Jones and Washington Examiner
Ian Austen / New York Times:
Carney Says He Apologized to Trump Over Ad Reviving Reagan's Tariff Criticism — The Canadian prime minister also said that he had asked the province of Ontario not to air the ad that later prompted the president to end trade talks. — Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada said on Saturday …
Discussion:
CBS News, Scripps News, Washington Examiner, Politico, CityNews Toronto, Bloomberg and The Hill
Washington Post:
Nancy Mace berated airport police and TSA agents, incident report says — The report claims Mace called officers “incompetent” and accused them of mistreating her. — Just now — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina), who is running for governor of her state, berated police officers …
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Jake Lahut / Wired:
Nancy Mace Curses, Berates Confused Cops in Airport Meltdown: Police Report
Discussion:
CBS News, HuffPost, FITSNews, New York Post, The Independent, Raw Story, Mediaite and Newsweek
Dietrich Knauth / Reuters:
US judge permanently blocks Trump order requiring voters to prove citizenship — March 25 order required passport or similar document for voting — Other courts have temporarily blocked the executive order — US Constitution gives states authority over elections
Discussion:
Votebeat
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Ross Douthat / New York Times:
It's Obvious Why Harris Lost in 2024. But Can Democrats Accept It? — The most obvious thing in politics is often the hardest to admit: If you lose an election, the best thing that you can do to make sure you win the next one is to find a message that puts you closer to the median voter than you were the last time around.
Washington Post:
ICE and Border Patrol's use of tear gas injures, sickens and tests the law — Federal immigration agents say chemical agents are needed to disperse violent protesters. But videos also show officers directly firing at people in aggressive and “unorthodox” ways.
Discussion:
One America News Network
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Zack Beauchamp / Vox:
The GOP's top think tank just defended an open Nazi — On Thursday night, the president of the Heritage Foundation — the MAGA right's leading think tank — welcomed an open Nazi into his political coalition. — You might think I am exaggerating. I assure you I am not.
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Ashleigh Fields / The Hill:
Cruz, McConnell slam Heritage president's defense of Tucker Carlson
Cruz, McConnell slam Heritage president's defense of Tucker Carlson
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, Instapundit, Washington Examiner, HuffPost, UnHerd, New York Times, The Free Press, The Dispatch, Newsweek, Washington Post, Raw Story, The Wrap, Algemeiner.com, Erick Erickson's Show Notes, New York Sun, al.com, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Jewish Insider, Rod Dreher's Diary, Daily Mail, The Transom, The Mael Review, Associated Press, WTOP News, Mediaite, Notes From The Circus, Politico, Reason, The Times of Israel and Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
The Hill:
Live updates: SNAP benefits on the line amid shutdown; Obama to stump for Dems in VA, NJ — Federal food aid is on the line as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is poised to run out of money on Saturday amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Discussion:
WTTG-TV, New Jersey Online, NewsNation, The Gateway Pundit and Jay Jones
Madeleine Ngo / New York Times:
Under Trump, Becoming a U.S. Citizen Gets Harder … A harder civics test. Stricter social media vetting. Neighborhood investigations into people's “moral character.” — The Trump administration is erecting new hurdles for lawful permanent residents applying for U.S. citizenship …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God.
Punchbowl News:
11/01/2025 📝 The Readback — Welcome to The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week - a quick roundup of all our scoops, analysis and Capitol Hill insight you won't find anywhere else. We've also included a few of our favorite outside reads from the week.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and Roll Call
New York Times:
How to Shop for Obamacare When Subsidies Are in Limbo — Enrollment for A.C.A. health coverage begins Nov. 1, with some staggering price increases. Here is a guide to help you choose a plan while Congress is at an impasse over tax credits. — On Saturday, Americans who don't get health insurance through …
Discussion:
Scripps News, WTTG-TV, NPR, Signal Ohio and The Portland Press Herald
Ben Ryder Howe / New York Times:
Whole Foods, MAHA and the Battle Over Healthy Eating in America … The Whole Foods flagship in Austin is a shrine. — With its acres of organic and regenerative produce, a craft beer bar with cheese pairings, and seemingly endless shelves of specialty groceries sculpted to perfection …
Michael L. Gross / New York Times:
‘Kill, Kill, Kill’: How to Wrestle With Death in Gaza — In talks leading up to the cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel, President Trump said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “You're going to be remembered for this” — ending the war in Gaza — “far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going, kill, kill, kill.”
Chicago Tribune:
On Halloween, ‘state-sponsored terror’ in Chicago and the north suburbs — Chicago Tribune, RICHIE REQUENA, BRIAN CASSELLA | In Albany Park, they fired pepper-spray balls to disperse an angry crowd and arrested two U.S. citizens. In Evanston, one repeatedly pointed his weapon at protesters …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Chicago Sun Times and Block Club Chicago
Pam Belluck / New York Times:
New York Judge Dismisses Texas Challenge to the State's Abortion Shield Law — The lawsuit was filed against an Ulster County clerk who rebuffed an attempt to enforce a Texas judgment against a New York doctor for sending abortion pills to that state. — A judge in New York State …
Jakob Weizman / Politico:
China's pause on rare earth export controls extends to EU — Beijing agreed this week to suspend its latest round of rare earth export restrictions for one year, a delay that applies to the EU as well as the U.S. — China confirmed that its suspension of export controls on rare earths …
Discussion:
Agence France-Presse, EUobserver, USAPP and Bloomberg
S.V. Date / HuffPost:
Trump Marks Full Month Of Government Shutdown With $3.4 Million Golf Trip To Florida — The Air Force One trip is his 13th visit to his Palm Beach country club since he returned to office and brings his taxpayer funded golf total to $60.7 million. — WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump marked …
Discussion:
Metro.co.uk and Raw Story
Maia Davies / BBC:
Andrew should answer Epstein questions in US, Democrats say — Members of a US congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have intensified their calls for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to answer questions about his links to the late sex offender.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Reuters, The Sun, Raw Story and Reason

