Why Democrats are starting to feel bullish about a midterm wave  —  Democrats say the Iran war, high prices and President Donald Trump's sinking popularity give them a real chance of congressional majorities.  —  Summary  —  Democrats' wary optimism about the midterms gave way to growing confidence this week.

Kansas 2026: Hamilton and Marshall in Tight Senate Race; Masterson Leads for Governor  —  Home Polls Kansas 2026: Hamilton and Marshall in Tight Senate Race; Masterson Leads for Governor  —  A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll finds 45% of Kansas voters support Democrat Adam Hamilton …

Former Institute of Peace board members ask court to stop addition of Trump name to headquarters  —  Former board members for the U.S. Institute of Peace asked a federal court on Thursday to block the Trump administration from etching President Trump's name into the facade of the institute's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

A Republican ‘Minivan-Driving Mom’ Swerves Away From the Trump Brand … Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa is locked in a tight race against Josh Turek, a Democratic state representative, that could be crucial for Senate control.  KC McGinnis for The New York Times

Kennedy Assures Vaccine Skeptics That They Have a ‘Friend at the White House’  —  The health secretary spoke at a conference featuring misinformation about vaccines, including a claim that the success of the polio vaccines was a “fraud.”  —  Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr …

A Brief History of Sam Alito's Delusional Obsession With Voter Fraud  —  His conduct in several recent cases suggests that Alito is deep in the right-wing conspiracy theory weeds.  —  Against Justice Samuel Alito's most fervent wishes, a federal district court order that prohibits …

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft  —  FOREIGN MILITARY SALES: CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION  —  The U.S. Department of State has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their purchase …

Fear and loathing in Trump's Miami backyard over immigration crackdown  —  Staring into the camera, Rep. Maria Salazar cut a new campaign ad that told President Trump what so many of her fellow Hispanic Republicans in Miami are saying: Immigration crackdown has gone too far.

Massie, Khanna Say They Have Secured 218 Signatures for New Epstein Files Vote  —  The announcement comes hours after MeidasTouch reported the discharge petition was just two signatures short of the threshold needed to force a House vote.  —  Co-Founder of MeidasTouch

The Story of America, Told in 15 Million First Drafts of History  —  Above my desk hangs an engraving of an island.  It depicts a still-young city in a still-young nation.  Its cobblestone streets are lined with squat buildings, none taller than a church spire.

Fear Strikes Out  —  But the hatred remains  —  On Wednesday Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, gave a speech affirming the EU's willingness to move toward making Canada an “associate member.”  Nobody quite knows what that would mean, and it might be mostly symbolic.

Blanche's Political Campaigning Breaks an Ethical Norm Going Back to Watergate  —  The attorney general's campaign politicking for Republicans adds to the degradation of post-Watergate values at the Justice Department.  —  Attorney General Todd Blanche has repeatedly participated …

For now, Pentagon plan for testosterone testing will apply to male troops only  —  Newly updated guidelines would test male service members aged 30 and over for low testosterone.  Rules for females will be released later, officials said.  —  Summary  —  The Pentagon has republished clinical guidance …

Republican ‘cavalry’ arrives with a Trump-backed $150 million ad blitz in key races  —  For months, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton was outspent on the air in Texas, first in a bruising primary, then as Democratic nominee James Talarico spent millions of dollars to introduce himself to voters.

Democrats vow to pursue ‘Trump crime family’ after midterm elections  —  Lawmaker on oversight committee says he will probe Donald Trump's sons and Elon Musk if his party takes control of the House  —  Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free  —  Democrats will be “aggressive” …

Trump Is Considering More Data Centers on Public Lands Than Previously Known  —  The Trump administration is considering proposals for at least 12 data centers and data center-related infrastructure projects to be built on federal public lands — far more than previously known.

Haven't we seen this before?  The AI apocalypse has a century of reruns  —  Mid-September brought the convergence of three big issues for investors: oil prices over $100/barrel (keeping headline inflation sticky), surging bond yields (with the 10-year Treasury over 5%) …

Red and Blue America Have Found Something to Agree On: Flock Cameras Must Go  —  A national backlash against AI-enabled license-plate readers is uniting Trump country and progressive strongholds alike.  'Nobody wants to be surveilled...doesn't matter what your political leaning is.'  —  Kris Maher

Why Do We Even Have a Constitution Day?  —  Because it's the frame of silver for our apple of gold.  —  The White House's posture toward Russia is getting more bizarre all the time.  On the one hand, Trump has promised to sign a sweeping package which—as Andrew wrote yesterday …

Noncitizens Don't Sway Elections, Even in a Pro-Trump Tally  —  Last month, the Census Bureau published a strange little document claiming that “over 24,000” votes were cast by noncitizens in the 2020 US general election.  The anonymous report has come under fire for its provenance and methods …

Democrats better not confuse gas price fury with thinking they figured out how to defeat Trumpism  —  The simplest and most seductive political analysis is that voters would share all my policy preferences if Democrats just did what I say they should.  And it's a decent analysis because it's somewhat true!

Most Michigan voters disapprove of Trump's tariffs on Canada, poll shows  —  Among the state's independents, who could determine the outcome of several key midterm races, 68 percent disapprove of the levies on Canadian products.  —  Summary  —  More than 60 percent of likely voters in Michigan …

Weeks Before the Midterms, Almost Everything Is Getting More Expensive  —  The price of eating out, filling a gas tank and buying a house keeps rising, while higher interest rates add to borrowing costs  —  Created with Highcharts 9.0.1Average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgageSource: Freddie Mac via St. Louis Fed

Ocasio-Cortez Donates to New York Democrats, Will Barnstorm State Ahead of Midterms  —  The news has reignited speculation about whether the progressive representative from the Bronx is considering a run for senator or president.  —  Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez plans to campaign across …

“A Clear Watering Down”: Drug Transparency Bill Stripped of Critical Provisions Ahead of Senate Vote  —  Landmark legislation designed to alert consumers to where their drugs were made is headed for a full Senate vote, but safety experts say the transparency bill has been stripped of two of its most critical provisions.