Top Items:
Politico:
Republicans aren't exactly flocking to Trump's midterm convention — President Donald Trump has a vision for next week's GOP convention in Dallas: a televised spectacle putting Republican candidates in front of midterm voters and top party donors just two months before the Election Day — with Trump himself headlining the show.
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William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Mike Johnson, Wet Noodle — Donald Trump has spent two years openly favoring red states over blue ones while disbursing federal disaster relief funds, but it's still surreal to see him talk openly about it. In a Truth Social post last night, Trump had this to say:
Steve Benen / MS NOW:
Trump approves disaster relief funds for 7 red states, after denying aid to blue states — Ahead of the midterm elections, the president isn't even being subtle about his scandalous politicization of disaster aid. — Donald Trump's politicization of federal disaster relief funds has become …
Discussion:
MeidasTouch and Trump's Truth
Calen Razor / Politico:
GOP does Dallas? Not so much
Discussion:
The Independent and Houston Public Media
New York Times:
As Trump Throws a Midterm Party, Some Vulnerable Republicans Send Regrets
As Trump Throws a Midterm Party, Some Vulnerable Republicans Send Regrets
Discussion:
Mediaite and Alternet.org
Politico:
GOP lawmakers seek answers from Trump trade chief on Canada tariffs
GOP lawmakers seek answers from Trump trade chief on Canada tariffs
Discussion:
CNBC, The Hill, Michigan Public, Deseret News, Heartland Signal and Washington Examiner
Aaron Blake / CNN:
Trump's first midterm ads are heavy on ‘me’
Trump's first midterm ads are heavy on ‘me’
Discussion:
NOTUS, Daily Kos and [your]NEWS
Gregory Svirnovskiy / Politico:
Tillis renews calls for Hegseth's ouster — Sen. Thom Tillis renewed his call for President Donald Trump to fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, following the resignation earlier this week of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. “I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men …
Discussion:
The Hill, Financial Times, Breitbart, Al Jazeera, The Independent, Washington Examiner, Forbes, Mediaite, The Free Press and Semafor
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Jen Fifield / ProPublica:
New Mail Voting Rules Moved Forward Despite USPS Officials' Concerns About Mass Disenfranchisement — Top U.S. Postal Service officials tasked with issuing new regulations on mail voting expressed concerns in internal meetings about how the rules they were drafting could delay or block ballots …
Discussion:
NOTUS, Public Notice, Pen Strokes, IJR News, twitchy.com, Fox News, Techdirt, NPR, The Status Kuo, Mediaite, France 24, Civil Discourse …, Democracy Docket, FOX 26 Houston, The Moderate Voice, Washington Examiner, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC News, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, NBC News, New York Magazine, Daily Kos and Votebeat
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Eileen Sullivan / New York Times:
Postal Service Is Building Ballot Screening System Despite Ongoing Court Fight — Election officials warn that the creation of a new online portal for states to upload voter information is already fueling confusion and could ultimately disenfranchise voters.
Discussion:
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, American Prospect, The Hill, Los Angeles Times and NOTUS
Zack Beauchamp / Vox:
How freaked out should you be about Trump's plot to disrupt mail voting?
How freaked out should you be about Trump's plot to disrupt mail voting?
Discussion:
Letters from an American and New York Times
Perry Bacon / New Republic:
Good Riddance, Seth Moulton: You Got What You Deserved — The biggest reason that Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election is probably the post-Covid-19 inflation and anti-incumbent sentiment that resulted in parties in power across the world being defeated. It didn't help that she refused …
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Steven Zeitchik / The Hollywood Reporter:
Elon Musk Unmasked in Alex Gibney Documentary: “Insane a Person This Chaotic Has So Much Power” — He is the richest man on earth. An explosive new film from the Oscar-winning director suggests he may also be the most dangerous. — Late one August afternoon in a Manhattan editing suite …
Discussion:
Joe.My.God., Consequence and Variety
Andrew Roth / The Guardian:
Israel 'seeking Trump's support for plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza' — Defence minister says he believes US backing could tip regional balance in favour of forced resettlement — Israel's defence minister has said his country is seeking Donald Trump's support to approve plans …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, France 24 and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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Mira Bhakta / The Hill:
Trump calls Tiger Woods plea deal ‘very fair’ — President Trump expressed support for the plea deal reached in Tiger Woods's March DUI case Wednesday, calling the Florida court's agreement to reduce the golfing legend's charges — allowing avoid jail time — “very fair.”
Discussion:
New York Post, Page Six, Mediaite, NewsMax.com, TMZ.com, The Daily Wire, Global News, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Forbes, Front Office Sports, Associated Press, Fox News, Deadline, Washington Examiner, Palm Beach Post, Sport & State, Joe.My.God., IJR News, CBS News, FOX 32 Chicago and FOX 26 Houston
Torrie Herrington / NOTUS:
Trump Says White House Helipad Is Complete
Trump Says White House Helipad Is Complete
Discussion:
Reuters, Joe.My.God., The Gateway Pundit, New Republic, National Review and CBS News
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Thune: Data centers should be ‘self-sufficient’ — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is stepping into the growing debate over data centers, saying in a local news interview this week that the facilities should be “self-sufficient.” “They ought to be able to take care of their own utilities …
Discussion:
Semafor
RELATED:
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Thune says he worries about losing Senate majority: 'I'm a realist'
Discussion:
NewsMax.com and Alternet.org
Conor Wight / CBS News:
2 police officers shot in downtown Minneapolis; several others injured, city officials report — Minneapolis police are responding to a shooting near 15 East Grant Street that has left multiple victims injured, including two police officers, according to a city alert.
Discussion:
KSTP-TV, MS NOW, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, UPI, New York Times, Fox News, [your]NEWS, One America News Network, MPR News, WTOP News and The Post Millennial
Benedict Vigers / Gallup:
Record-High 89% in U.S. Say Government Corruption Widespread — Substantial majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents agree — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' perceptions of government corruption in the U.S. are at their highest level in 20 years, with 89% of U.S. adults saying it is widespread.
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, UPI, The Hill, The Post Millennial, Truthout, WTOP News, Mediaite and The Independent
RELATED:
Josephine Walker / Axios:
89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread
89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread
Discussion:
Semafor and Joe.My.God.
Andrew Solender / Axios:
Rogue House Democrats face growing push for “consequences” — Two centrist House Democrats who voted to help Republicans get a procedural motion across the finish line are now facing down possible punishment from party leaders who say they were blindsided by the move.
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New York Times:
Trump Administration Launches Blitz to Find Elusive Voter Fraud Ahead of Midterms — Voter fraud is exceedingly rare, but President Trump has fixated on rooting it out this year, claiming without evidence that tens of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Newsweek, The Federalist, Votebeat and YouGov
Washington Post:
Pentagon cuts access to classified information amid Iran war concerns — Documents associated with the Secretary of Defense Orders Book were removed from an internal Pentagon web portal after The Washington Post's reporting, three people familiar with the matter said. — Summary
Discussion:
Mediaite, Alternet.org and The Wrap
San Francisco Chronicle:
ICE hasn't paid for detainee medical care since October. Advocates call it the ‘death policy’ — Over the 10 months Rodrigo spent in an ICE detention center east of Bakersfield, he asked repeatedly to see an oncologist about the tumor that was growing to the size of a lemon in his neck …
Discussion:
NPR
Leah Litman / The Atlantic:
The Court's Ballroom Decision Is a Sign of Deeper Problems — The conservative justices have separation of powers exactly backwards. — In deciding to allow President Trump to proceed with constructing a new ballroom, which Congress has not authorized, at the White House, which Trump does not own …
Discussion:
emptywheel, Alternet.org and Lawfare
NBC News:
House Democrats block constitutional amendment to lock Supreme Court size at 9 justices — The Republican-led resolution, which requires two-thirds support in the House and Senate, comes in response to increasing openness among Democrats to expand the court.
Discussion:
New York Post, The Hill, NewsMax.com, Joe.My.God., CBS News, [your]NEWS and Newsweek
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
What JD Vance's Eruption of Rage Over Usha and El-Sayed Really Reveals — JD Vance is pretending to be very, very angry at Abdul El-Sayed for drawing his wife, Usha Vance, into our political debates. “Abdul, keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth,” Vance seethed while campaigning …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mediaite, The Forward, twitchy.com, The Guardian, New York Magazine and Forbes
Jalen Beckford / Politico:
Federal judges say they're facing intensified threats since start of Trump's second term … Federal judges say they're worried about increased threats to members of the judiciary since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, a trend some say is fueled by politically charged cases …
Discussion:
Associated Press and MS NOW
Nicole Sganga / CBS News:
Coast Guard plane carrying Markwayne Mullin makes emergency landing after engine failure — Washington — A Coast Guard jet carrying Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and other top DHS officials made an emergency landing Wednesday afternoon outside Washington, D.C., after one of its engines failed.
Jonathan Martin / Politico:
Can Susan Collins Survive the Craziest Race in the Country? … Yet nowhere has been as idyllic as Perry's Lobster Shack. — Set on a harbor, where — in local parlance — Midcoast meets Downeast, the view from Perry's over the water is of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.
Discussion:
Axios, Maine Democratic Party, The Hill, RedState and Washington Examiner
Avery Lotz / Axios:
Trump's Canada antagonism vexes Americans … - With the midterm elections creeping closer, polling suggests Americans aren't sold on the fight. … - Even among Republicans, more opposed (43%) than supported (33%) the order. — A vast majority of Democrats (84%) and independents and other parties (65%) opposed the name change.
Discussion:
CNBC, CNN, Fox News, NewsMax.com, FOX 32 Chicago, Mediaite, The Independent and Reuters
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order aimed at ‘birth tourism’ — A federal judge has blocked one of President Donald Trump's latest attempts to limit birthright citizenship. — U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday barring enforcement …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, New York Times, The Hill, NBC News, Reuters, NOTUS, All Rise News, Newsweek, The Independent and Joe.My.God.
David Gilbert / Wired:
ICE Plans to Pay $5 Million to Create National Voting Database — As part of a broader DHS surge to investigate alleged voter fraud, ICE has announced it plans to pay up to $5 million to create what amounts to a federal voter database. — In a bid to tackle alleged voter fraud …
Discussion:
Democracy Docket
Associated Press:
JD Vance talks end times, Antichrist and AI on faith podcast — The vice president, who's been an advocate of building data centers to support artificial intelligence, told podcaster Bryce Crawford that some uses of AI are “satanic.” — Vice President JD Vance warned about the dangers …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New Republic, Axios, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, The Independent, Joe.My.God., HuffPost, Associated Press, Mediaite and Alternet.org
Olaf Storbeck / Financial Times:
Dutch central bank moves gold bars out of New York over ‘geopolitical unrest’ — DNB prefers London over the US city, pointing to better ‘tradeability’ of bullion — The Dutch central bank has shifted more than 78 tonnes of gold from New York to London in a politically sensitive move, citing “increasing geopolitical unrest”.
Discussion:
24/7 Wall St., Associated Press and [your]NEWS
Anne Applebaum / The Atlantic:
The MAGA Right Is Only Pretending to Be Censored — The conspiracy theory that persists even though no evidence supports it — For nearly a year and a half, the Trump administration prepared its case. Political appointees inside the State Department combed through old files and databases.
Discussion:
Asia Times and American Greatness


