Top Items:
New York Times:
George W. Bush and Cornyn Leave Out Paxton as They Raise Cash for Senate Candidates — The former president and Texas senator are headlining a fund-raiser in Dallas for top Republican Senate candidates. Not included: Ken Paxton, the nominee in their own state.
Discussion:
Fox News
RELATED:
Axios:
GOP's war for eyeballs — Republicans are starting to trounce Democrats in political spending across the Senate map, and that advantage is now showing up in one of the metrics campaigns care about most: impressions. … - Beginning in September, campaigns and super PACs start competing …
Discussion:
The Washington Sun, NewsMax.com, Semafor, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg and New York Times, more at Techmeme »
Mychael Schnell / MS NOW:
'We're gonna get crushed': Republicans privately say they're doomed in the midterms — There are just six weeks to go until midterm elections. The national average for a gallon of gas is just a couple cents short of $4.50. Diesel has climbed above $6.50. And Republicans are officially freaking out.
Jonathan Martin / Politico:
Republicans' Cash Blitz Meets a $5-Gas Election … Republican polling has so deteriorated this month that the only uncertainty remaining ahead of the midterms is the depth of the party's losses. With early or mail ballot voting beginning in nearly half the country this week …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Independent, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and MS NOW
Politico:
Republicans were bullish about the Senate. Now they're playing defense in red states. — Republicans are playing defense deep in their own territory as voter anger over price hikes puts more House and Senate seats in play in the midterms. — New rounds of big spending …
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill and Los Angeles Times
Alex Miller / Fox News:
Trump warns he'll be ‘last Republican president’ if Senate GOP doesn't make major change
Discussion:
Townhall, Trump's Truth and NewsMax.com
Washington Post:
Republicans start making moves to challenge JD Vance for 2028 nomination
Republicans start making moves to challenge JD Vance for 2028 nomination
Discussion:
Daily Mail
Calen Razor / Politico:
Senate GOP eyes exit plan as trail calls
Peter Baker / New York Times:
After Years as the Star of Must-See TV, Trump Faces the Sting of Cancellation — A boycott of the White House press pool by the major networks deprives the president of the oxygen of screen time. But he is still finding ways to get on the air. — For President Trump …
Discussion:
France 24, The Spectator, The Hill, WTOP News, Townhall, New York Times, Associated Press, Mother Jones and CNN, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Dan Merica / Washington Post:
TV networks deny Trump the one thing he craves most: Attention — In today's edition ... Something is happening in Iowa ... We ask you about extinction scenarios involving artificial intelligence ... but first ... TV networks deny Trump the one thing he craves most — Donald Trump had a really rough week last week.
Discussion:
Politico, NBC News and Los Angeles Times, more at Mediagazer »
Josephine Walker / Axios:
Trump inaudible during TV blackout: What the press pool does — President Trump was inaudible during a press conference Monday after the TV pool suspended coverage, with White House-provided video carrying no usable audio of his remarks. … - The pool serves hundreds of journalists …
Discussion:
Poynter, The Message Box, Krassencast, Breitbart, Deadline, American Greatness, HuffPost, Newsweek, Variety, The Daily Wire, The Atlantic, The Guardian, One America News Network, Gizmodo, The Wrap, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, MeidasTouch, CNBC, Human Events, Diplomatic,, Mediaite, Advocate, Washington Examiner, MS NOW, Bloomberg, The Gateway Pundit, Politico, The Moderate Voice, New York Times and CNN, more at Mediagazer »
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
September 21, 2026 — On September 18, while White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was out of town …
September 21, 2026 — On September 18, while White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was out of town …
Discussion:
Townhall, One America News Network and Reuters
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Has Repeatedly Weighed Moving Entire Press Corps Out of White House
Discussion:
The White House, The Free Press, Mediaite, The Wrap, Steady, The Hill, NewsMax.com and RedState
ProPublica:
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way — Listen 40:17 — Reporting Highlights — Probe: In 2024, the FBI sought to launch a sweeping pay-to-play investigation examining interactions between Sen. Susan Collins and a top donor, records and emails show.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
David Pierson / New York Times:
With Time on His Side, Xi Seeks to Extend Truce With Trump — Facing an American president constrained by war and politics, China's leader may seek to lock in a tactical truce while he shores up a fragile economy at home. — When China's top leader, Xi Jinping, and President Trump meet …
Discussion:
CNBC, Fox News, Reuters and Washington Post
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Gideon Rachman / Financial Times:
Trump and Xi are the wrong men at the wrong time
Trump and Xi are the wrong men at the wrong time
Discussion:
The Atlantic, New York Times, Atlantic Council, The Hill, Washington Examiner and Washington Post
Financial Times:
‘MBS will not forget’: Donald Trump's reluctance to fight Houthis rattles Saudi Arabia — US hesitation has amplified doubts in Riyadh about Washington's reliability as its prime defence partner — Donald Trump's reluctance to join Saudi Arabia's conflict with Houthi rebels in Yemen …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Reuters and Middle East Monitor
RELATED:
Marist Poll:
2026 Midterm Elections in Iowa, September 2026 — Democrats Up in Iowa... Elections Underscored by Negative Views of Trump — In the contest for U.S. Senate in Iowa, eight points separate Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson among registered voters statewide.
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post and Townhall
Caroline Vakil / The Hill:
Appeals court reinstates GOP House map in Missouri for November election — A federal appeals court reinstated Missouri Republicans' 7-1 House map to be used in time for the November elections, delivering a boost for several GOP candidates who wanted a more favorable map for the party to be used in the midterm elections.
RELATED:
Will Sommer / The Bulwark:
SCOOP: Looksmaxxer Clavicular Charged With Criminal Rape, Drugging — The manosphere celeb faces three counts stemming from an alleged encounter with a minor. — FAMOUSLY HANDSOME RIGHT-WING LIVESTREAMER Clavicular has been on the rise. His business connection to an Israeli mafia associate has ended …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, The Daily Wire, Variety, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, PinkNews, TMZ.com, Mediaite, Metro.co.uk and Stereogum
Michelle Cottle / New York Times:
Susan Collins's Luck May Be Running Out — “I deliver for the state of Maine.” — These seven words, uttered by Senator Susan Collins in a recent sit-down with Politico, are the heart of her re-election pitch this election. Every election, really. — The sole Republican senator still hanging …
Discussion:
The Portland Press Herald and Talking Points Memo
RELATED:
Rachel Cohen / Vox:
Susan Collins is the abortion rights movement's biggest test of 2026
Susan Collins is the abortion rights movement's biggest test of 2026
Discussion:
The Portland Press Herald
Jason Lange / Reuters:
Trump approval falls to career low of 32% as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds — President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to 32% - the lowest of his political career - as his fellow Republicans soured on his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Discussion:
Mediaite, City Journal, Reuters, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Independent, The Hill, Paste and New Republic
RELATED:
New York Times:
How Trump Has Cracked Down on Dissent Since the Killing of Charlie Kirk — The White House has labeled critics terrorists, attributed violence to a left-wing conspiracy and investigated unions, nonprofits and other groups in a battle over free speech. — NEWS ANALYSIS
Elizabeth Dwoskin / Washington Post:
He spent 11 months inside DOGE. Now he wants to set the record straight. — In his first major interview about his tell-all memoir, Tyler Hassen describes the culture clash surrounding DOGE's mission and the backlash that followed. — Summary — Tyler Hassen's initiation …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
New York Times:
‘I Was Sold a Bill of Goods’: Americans and the Distrust Election — Americans have a pervasive sense they are being lied to. That has created an unpredictability in politics unseen since Donald Trump said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue without losing voters. — Call it the distrust election.
New York Times:
Man Shot by ICE Agent Says His Car Was Struck Twice Before He Was Shot — A Venezuelan immigrant, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was shot in Austin, Texas, on Sunday after a traffic stop. The shooting prompted calls from local officials for a transparent investigation.
Discussion:
The Bulwark, The Texas Tribune, KEYT-TV, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Reuters, HotAir, Axios, CBS News, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Courthouse News Service, Straight Arrow, Washington Examiner, Fox News, The Hill, The Washington Sun, Deseret News, ABC News, Scripps News, Talking Points Memo, The Independent and NPR
Financial Times:
Kremlin-backed forgery scheme moved $6.9bn through global banks — FT finds thousands of Russian payments handled by Standard Chartered, Citigroup and other international groups in vast leak from inside fintech A7 — Unlock the Editor's Digest for free — Standard Chartered …
New York Times:
German Leaders Prepare to Deny Far Right Access to Secret War Plan — With the Alternative for Germany party close to power in a German state, federal officials are planning to limit the group's access to classified intelligence. — Spooked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine …
Discussion:
Middle East Monitor
Reid J. Epstein / New York Times:
Many Democrats Are Avoiding Kamala Harris. Abdul El-Sayed Is Welcoming Her. — The former vice president wants to help her party in the midterms, but not many are taking her up on the offer. Except for the Senate nominee in Michigan, who will appear with her on Tuesday.
Discussion:
WTOP News, KEYT-TV, The Independent and ABC News
Laura Kelly / The Hill:
Belarus says no potash left after Trump claims massive deal for fertilizer — Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Monday that there are no available volumes of fertilizer to send to the U.S. This came after President Trump announced that he was working on a “massive Deal” …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Illinois, Wonkette, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, RedState, Washington Post, The Kyiv Independent, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and NewsMax.com
Ani Avetisyan / Bloomberg:
Trump World Eyes Ex-Soviet States for Towers, Tungsten and Trade — President Donald Trump and his circle are expanding their business interests in a region where his administration is seeking to deepen its own economic influence. — Projects in the Caucasus and Central Asia tied to his family …
Discussion:
The Hill


