Inside Democrats' Secret Effort to Stack Alaska's Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan  —  Inside Democrats' Secret Effort to Stack Alaska's Ballot  —  In May, an unusual challenger entered the Senate race opposing Senator Dan Sullivan, the Alaska Republican.

A List of Things Democrats Might Do If They Retake Power  —  There are plenty of reasons to fear a Democratic trifecta in Washington, which next week's midterms may very well set up for 2028.  Below is a list of actions and policies that give conservatives cause for alarm:

Exclusive: Ad backfiring on Ramaswamy, GOP poll finds … - The ad “is having a significant effect on the gubernatorial race,” a memo attached to the poll states. … - Acton has said she was sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 12 and that her mother sided with her abuser.

Massive Leak Exposes 41,000 Homeland Security Workers—Including Undercover ICE Agents  —  The leaked records include the locations of ICE and CBP facilities, workers' cellphone numbers, and the members of groups tied to wiretap programs, Palantir software, and xAI's Grok chatbot.

Vance Reaches Out to Iranian Hard-Liner in Bid to Restart Peace Talks  —  Vice president sent letter to Iran's security chief at Trump's direction  —  Vice President JD Vance is engaging one of Iran's most powerful hard-liners to revive peace negotiations even as President Trump threatens …

Hegseth Fires a Top General  —  The U.S. military may be planning a return to war, but the director of planning is out.  —  Earlier this week, the Pentagon's chief planner, Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, was ousted from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  No explanation was given.

Judge Rejects Trump Officials' Bid to Set Aside California Ballots  —  The judge ruled that no immediate action was necessary, dealing another setback to the administration as it moves to target voting by noncitizens.  —  A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the latest Trump administration attempt …

Conservative influencer James O'Keefe charged with unlawful voting and identity theft in Minnesota  —  O'Keefe was charged alongside fellow influencer Cam Higby after they allegedly misrepresented themselves at polling places during Minnesota's primary in August.

Kennedy to Allow Broad Use of Unapproved Peptide Injections  —  In a unilateral declaration by the health secretary, several injections promoted by online influencers will become widely available.  The F.D.A. had advised against the move.  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr …

An Unpredictable President, a Grim White House: Trump Faces Down the Midterms  —  The White House has been rocked by turnover and anxiety over the midterms.  The president, who is tightening his inner circle, has lashed out at critics, held meandering rallies and feasted on a diet of news clips and “A.I. slop,” as one aide put it.

Elon Musk Is Trying To Buy Texas.  It Might Earn Him ‘Retribution.’  —  The trillionaire's unprecedented political spending in the 2026 midterms could cost him in his home state of Texas if Democrats breakthrough and win in November.  —  Elon Musk, the world's first and only trillionaire …

Trump admin rebrands triumphal arch as ‘generational national defense opportunity’  —  A soaring triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants to erect near Arlington National Cemetery would be a “generational defense opportunity” and not merely decorative, two of his Cabinet secretaries argued in court declarations Wednesday.

Cabinet Officials on the Campaign Trail?  Ethics Experts Say Some Are Breaking the Law.  —  As Trump officials stump for Republican candidates facing difficult races, ethics experts say they are being lax about complying with the Hatch Act, a federal anti-corruption law.

Attack ads flood Mississippi's shockingly-competitive Senate race  —  The most-aired ad in the closing stretch of Mississippi's Senate race features a Jeffrey Epstein survivor attacking GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith for voting against releasing files related to the convicted human trafficker.

Federal Reserve Maintains Interest Rates Ahead of the Midterms  —  The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday in the committee's last move before the midterm elections, which have been dominated by affordability concerns.  —  “While uncertainty remains elevated owing …

Abdul El-Sayed widens lead over Mike Rogers to 7 points in newest Michigan Senate poll  —  Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has increased his polling lead to 7 percentage points over Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman, among likely voters in a nationally watched U.S. Senate race in Michigan.

Trump Shelters Flavio Bolsonaro, Risking Tensions With Brazil  —  The US decision to allow the defeated right-wing Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro to seek refuge in the US poses a fresh irritant to a bilateral relationship that has been marked by finger-pointing and accusations between the two countries' leaders.

U.S. Is Discussing Sanctions Relief for Russian Fund, Official Acknowledges  —  A Russian official said potential relief for a state investment fund was part of talks.  Russia has sought to wring economic benefits from the negotiations on ending the war with Ukraine.

Texas county Republicans sue to block election certification unless every ballot is hand counted  —  A Texas county Republican Party is asking a federal court to stop certification of the state's upcoming election results unless officials first hand count every paper ballot in the state.