Top Items:
Politico:
Paul says Fauci will face ‘repercussions’ for taking the Fifth. That could get complicated. — Rand Paul says Anthony Fauci can expect consequences for the former Covid czar's decision to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination to avoid testifying before Paul's Senate committee on Wednesday.
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NBC News:
Anthony Fauci invokes 5th Amendment right not to testify at Covid hearing, calls Sen. Rand Paul ‘unhinged’ — The former top health official said he would invoke his 5th Amendment right not to testify to avoid the possibility that Republicans might try to prosecute him for perjury.
Discussion:
CBS News, Esquire, New York Post, RedState, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, STAT, HotAir, The Post Millennial, Time, Associated Press, Legal Insurrection, Blaze Media, The Independent, The Maine Wire, twitchy.com, The Federalist, PBS NewsHour, Washington Times, The American Conservative, Politico, Joe.My.God. and Washington Examiner
NPR:
Anthony Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in Rand Paul Senate hearing — Anthony Fauci declined to answer any questions before a Senate committee focused on the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday morning. — “Although it pains me to do so, because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Fox News, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Hill, New York Magazine, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Florida Politics, The Gateway Pundit, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, One America News Network, OutsideTheBeltway, UPI, Breitbart, New York Sun, Forbes, Straight Arrow, ABC News, The Independent, Scripps News, The Guardian, FOX 32 Chicago, twitchy.com, NewsMax.com, New York Post, Washington Examiner, The Federalist, Washington Times, CBS News, Reason and Racket News
Herb Scribner / Axios:
The most fiery moments from Fauci's Senate hearing
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, Associated Press, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, TMZ.com, MS NOW and New York Post
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Trump Administration Live Updates: Fauci Repeatedly Refuses to Answer Senators' Questions at Volatile Hearing
Trump Administration Live Updates: Fauci Repeatedly Refuses to Answer Senators' Questions at Volatile Hearing
Discussion:
New York Times, Bloomberg, CBS News, twitchy.com, The Gateway Pundit and The Hill
Karoun Demirjian / New York Times:
Fauci's Pardon From Biden Would Not Shield Him From New Offenses
Fauci's Pardon From Biden Would Not Shield Him From New Offenses
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, The Hill and New York Sun
David Nather / Axios:
Fauci takes Fifth Amendment, refuses to answer Senate panel questions
Fauci takes Fifth Amendment, refuses to answer Senate panel questions
Discussion:
The Hill, Rolling Stone, Associated Press, The Post Millennial, Bloomberg, twitchy.com, Washington Examiner, Daily Mail and CBS News
Jamelle Bouie / New York Times:
Why Do We Tolerate Elon Musk's Racist Commentary? — “The Turner Diaries” is a work of white supremacist agitprop. It purports to be the diary of a neo-Nazi militant, Earl Turner, who is working to overthrow the United States government — or as the book calls it, “the System” — through a group called “the Organization.”
Discussion:
The New World
New York Times:
Trump Demanded Details of Agents' Interview of Comey, New Filing Says — The demand suggests the intense personal involvement of President Trump in investigating one of his longtime critics, the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey. — Secret Service agents who questioned the former F.B …
Discussion:
MS NOW, New Republic, NewsMax.com, The Independent, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Politico:
‘Preposterous’: Comey team attacks charges over alleged threat to Trump — A May 2026 FBI interview with notorious mobster “Sammy the Bull.” A text message from a disgruntled acquaintance misled by a Rudy Giuliani podcast. An actress' late-night television routine.
Discussion:
MS NOW, Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, Associated Press, The Hill, CBS News, The Bulwark, New Republic, NBC News and One America News Network
Dan Mangan / CNBC:
Secret Service ‘illegally’ surveilled Comey in Trump ‘8647’ threat case: Court filing
Secret Service ‘illegally’ surveilled Comey in Trump ‘8647’ threat case: Court filing
Discussion:
Democracy Docket, Talking Points Memo and The Guardian
Chris Marquette / Politico:
Blanche nomination hangs by a thread as Cornyn stands by settlement ultimatum — GOP Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday, less than 24 hours before a critical committee vote, that he is “not prepared” to support Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general as the two continue to tangle …
Discussion:
New York Times, CNBC, MS NOW, Washington Examiner, Talking Points Memo, Forbes, NewsMax.com, NOTUS, The Daily Caller and Bloomberg
RELATED:
New York Times:
With Blanche Nomination at Stake, Payouts to Trump Allies Continue — A seven-figure settlement is announced two days before a scheduled Senate committee vote on Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general. — Two days before Senate lawmakers were scheduled to vote …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Roll Call, New York Sun, The Daily Wire, Courthouse News Service, The Hill, MS NOW, Balls and Strikes and CNN
Ashleigh Fields / The Hill:
Cornyn meeting with Blanche canceled ahead of key Judiciary Committee vote
Discussion:
Bloomberg, NOTUS, The Daily Caller, Newsweek, New York Sun and Raw Story
New York Times:
Iran War Live Updates: U.S. and Saudi Airstrikes Drag More Countries Into Fighting — Global oil prices jumped on Wednesday after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia said they had carried out joint airstrikes on Iranian proxies in Iraq. — Here's the latest. — American and Saudi fighter jets …
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Hill, Washington Post, CBS News, Reuters, Bloomberg, Courthouse News Service, BOE Report, France 24, FDD's Long War Journal, Fox News, Israpundit, Al Jazeera, Washington Times, Phillips's Newsletter, The Times of Israel, Straight Arrow, Newsweek, UPI, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Middle East Monitor and Semafor
RELATED:
Fox News:
Trump says US will ‘beat the f— s— out of them’ after Iran launches surprise missile strike
Trump says US will ‘beat the f— s— out of them’ after Iran launches surprise missile strike
Joshua Keating / Vox:
We're running out of ways to get oil out of the Middle East
We're running out of ways to get oil out of the Middle East
Discussion:
Legal Insurrection, Israpundit and Associated Press
Stef W. Kight / Axios:
Scoop: Inside the White House pitch for pre-election MAGA megabill … President Trump and his team disagree. — White House officials want the Senate to build in flexibility to jam through as much of the SAVE America Act as possible, and they are insisting it can be crafted to avoid tough amendment votes.
Discussion:
Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Jordain Carney / Politico:
GOP governors back new reconciliation bill as Senate sputters — Nearly two dozen governors are throwing their support behind President Donald Trump's push for a new party-line spending bill — the latest effort to build pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his GOP colleagues to move quickly.
Discussion:
Axios
Thomas Frank / Politico:
Trump overrode his own agencies to deny four Democratic disaster requests — President Donald Trump overruled his own agencies when he denied disaster aid for four Democratic-led states this month. — Emails between state and federal officials obtained by POLITICO along with more than 150 pages …
Discussion:
MS NOW, The Parnas Perspective and New Republic
RELATED:
Oliver Darcy / Status:
Bari's New ‘60’ Slate … On Tuesday afternoon, I received an urgent tip on the encrypted-messaging app Signal: Ross Douthat, the conservative opinion columnist at The New York Times, was set to leave the newspaper and join “60 Minutes.” Initially, I was skeptical.
Riley Moser / CBS News:
Elon Musk's xAI sues to stop Minnesota law banning nudification technology — Add CBS News on Google — Billionaire Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company is suing Minnesota over a first-of-its-kind law that bans apps and websites that create fake, sexualized pictures of individuals, claiming it violates the First Amendment.
Discussion:
Straight Arrow, New York Sun, Breitbart, Joe.My.God. and Gizmodo, more at Techmeme »
RELATED:
Noel Sims / Popular Information:
The fake historian advising Trump's anti-Smithsonian crusade — Last Friday, President Trump released an executive order directing officials to install signs outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (NMAH) informing visitors that the museum presents history inaccurately.
Discussion:
SCOTUSblog and Washington Blade
Colby Smith / New York Times:
Live Updates: Federal Reserve to Make a Close Call on Interest Rates — Kevin M. Warsh, after his second meeting as the Fed's chairman, will explain how officials are thinking about persistent inflation and a resilient job market. — What to watch at the meeting.
Discussion:
Board of Governors …, CBS News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, NewsMax.com, Fortune, Associated Press, UPI, NPR, Semafor, One America News Network and CNBC
Ryan King / New York Post:
Marjorie Taylor Greene marries MAGA reporter Brian Glenn in Las Vegas — What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. — Former firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene officially tied the knot with her fiancé, MAGA reporter Brian Glenn, in a private ceremony in Sin City Tuesday.
Discussion:
TMZ.com, Us Weekly, Mercury News, The Daily Caller, The Independent and Newsweek
Sophia Cai / Politico:
FIFA is going into business with a Kushner. Democrats smell blood. — Gianni Infantino's political future may be on the U.S. midterm ballot. — For years, FIFA's president has nurtured one of the closest relationships between any world leader and President Donald Trump …
Discussion:
Telegraph, New York Magazine, NPR, Associated Press, Inside FIFA, Politico, The Athletic, Forbes, Al Jazeera, BBC, NOTUS, Truthout and New Republic
Ariel Edwards-Levy / CNN:
CNN Poll: Americans doubt Trump is paying enough attention to the country's most important problems — A record-high 73% of US adults say that President Donald Trump hasn't paid enough attention to the country's most important problems, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, with just 27% saying he's had the right priorities.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, Truthout, DCCC, Palm Beach Post, Louder With Crowder, Newsweek, Staff Stories, HuffPost and The Independent
Graig Graziosi / The Independent:
Judge tosses Kash Patel's $10M defamation lawsuit against blogger who called him a ‘chud’ — Jim Stewartson accused Patel of helping to organize the Jan 6 attack on the US capitol — FBI Director Kash Patel's $10 million defamation lawsuit targeting a blogger who called him a “Kremlin asset” …
Discussion:
New Republic, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Townhall and Fox News
Phil Stewart / Reuters:
US commander warns troops their videos help Iran, sources say — The top U.S. commander for the Middle East has warned troops that cellphone videos shared online can help Iran target American bases, and sources told Reuters some deployed personnel could soon be ordered to surrender their phones.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, RedState, Daily Mail, The Independent and The Intercept
emptywheel:
Todd Blanche Colluded with an Italian Mafioso ... and Also Rudy Guiliani ... to Indict Jim Comey — Jim Comey has filed his pretrial motions. The memoranda and backup for each are here (Fitzgerald's affidavit is a worthwhile place to start): — Motion to Dismiss (MTD) for lack of a true threat
Gerry Doyle / Bloomberg:
A New Age of Missiles Reshapes Battlefields Around The World — The world is on the cusp of a third missile age, with conventional ballistic weapons proliferating at unprecedented speed in the wake of widespread, battlefield-warping deployment in Iran and Ukraine.
Discussion:
Axios
New York Times:
Trump's Tariffs Are Sending Some Companies Back to China … Workers at factories in China and Thailand assembling and testing flashlights for sale to American customers.Videos by Lauren DeCicca and Qilai Shen — On a dusty piece of land south of Bangkok, a flashlight factory stands full of promise.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com and PRICKLY PEAR
Liz Dye / Public Notice:
Harmeet Dhillon demonstrates danger of posting through it — This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — 🫵 Subscribe to PN 🫵 … On October 3, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division …
Discussion:
Techdirt
Washington Post:
Trump set to unveil Dulles makeover after months of personal edits — The multibillion-dollar project to overhaul the airport would replace aging terminals and eliminate its long-disparaged “people movers.” — Summary — President Donald Trump on Wednesday is set to announce a sweeping plan …
Discussion:
ABC News, Associated Press, The Hill, NBC News, CBS News, The Guardian, Newsweek, KTLA, The Independent, NewsMax.com and Joe.My.God.
Politico:
Republicans start pondering another debt limit hike as midterms loom — Republicans raised the debt limit by $5 trillion last year. Now they are already thinking about how to head off another dive over the fiscal cliff on President Donald Trump's watch. Independent forecasters predict …
Discussion:
The Hill and NewsMax.com
Theodore Schleifer / New York Times:
Why Republicans Aren't Funding a Key Senate Race Yet … Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas, is the Republican nominee for Senate there but has struggled to raise money.Antranik Tavitian for The New York Times — In one of this year's most competitive Senate races, Republicans are refusing to spend money — so far.
Discussion:
Election Law Blog
Jim Saksa / Democracy Docket:
GOP states join DOJ in asking Supreme Court to let Trump block some mail ballots — A dozen Republican states led by Missouri asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let President Donald Trump's sweeping executive order attacking mail voting go into effect before the midterm elections in November.
Discussion:
Associated Press, WNYW-TV, Courthouse News Service and Joe.My.God.
Alan Rappeport / New York Times:
Sanctions Bill Would Give Trump Sweeping New Tariff Powers — A bipartisan bill in the Senate would allow President Trump to impose tariffs on the biggest importers of Russian energy. — The sanctions legislation that moved forward in the Senate this week goes beyond enacting new financial restrictions on Russia and Iran.
Discussion:
Deseret News and Bloomberg

