Polls and “fundamentals” basically agree about the blue wave  —  Hi everyone, Elliott here with a short business note before the main content.  The months leading up to elections are always the biggest months of new revenue for this newsletter.  But in the months after …

U.S. Rushes to Withdraw Bombers From U.K. Air Base After New Threats  —  The withdrawal came with unusual speed, following what U.S. officials said were threats of an Iran-based plot against the installation.  —  The United States rushed over the weekend to withdraw all 12 B-1 Air Force bombers …

A Reckoning in Springfield  —  This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter.  Sign up for it here.  —  He kept going over the details.  —  “I run this route every day, like clockwork,” the trucker was saying, heading west to where he had first seen the man on the side of the highway.

Jeffries says House Democrats reaching to flip Trump districts in attempt to repeat their 2018 sweep  —  House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday his party is on track to win back control of the House, confident it can overcome a fundraising disadvantage and reach deep …

Bolsonaro Pushes Lula to Brink of Defeat Ahead of Brazil Runoff  —  Flávio Bolsonaro surged to a surprise lead over Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, making him the overwhelming favorite to win the runoff and take Latin America's heavyweight nation sharply to the right.

Sen. Kennedy Teases Potential 2028 Presidential Run  —  Sen. John Kennedy said he would consider jumping in the 2028 presidential race if he does not like his party's options for the Republican nominee.  —  “On my side of the aisle, if a bunch of goobers run, and I think they're goobers …

Scoop: White House monitors suspected plague outbreak in Russia  —  The White House is monitoring reports of a suspected plague case and a related quarantines in Russia, a Trump administration official told Axios on Sunday. … - Shipilova was admitted to a hospital on Sept. 29 with symptoms …

For a fed-up America, the elite impunity of the Cornell rape case is the last straw  —  It was the kind of smug dude-bro TV football commentary that would have gone mostly unnoticed if this had been an ordinary week in America.  —  On Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football …

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says Trump was “well aware of the risks to energy flows” before launching Iran war  —  Washington — Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that President Trump was “well aware of the risks to energy flows” before launching the war in Iran earlier this year …

Why Kansas Has Suddenly Moved to Center of the Fight for Senate Control  —  The state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century.  Economic challenges during President Trump's second term, as well as other factors, have put it in play.  —  Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since before World War II.

Buttigieg goes big to help 2026 Dems  —  CONCORD, New Hampshire— Pete Buttigieg is barnstorming the nation in the final weeks before the midterms, boosting candidates in battlegrounds and even areas traditionally hostile to Democrats.  And it's helping him look beyond November.

Trump reiterates pledge to send $5,000 checks, and hands out smaller payments, as midterm elections loom … With Election Day less than a month away, President Donald Trump is touting two federal cash-payment programs already underway while renewing a much larger $5,000 check promise contingent on Republicans retaining Congress.

The Alito Court: A rare interview with the influential Supreme Court justice  —  Walking across the gritty New Jersey ball field for the first time since he played here as a boy, Samuel Alito couldn't help but stop to analyze the playing surface.  —  The pebbles were bigger back then, he said, the field more uneven.

Sam Altman exclusive: Bad things will happen  —  Welcome to POLITICO Forecast.  This is Jack Blanchard, back in Washington D.C. tonight and psyched to bring you a proper AI scoop.  Read on.  —  5 THINGS THAT MATTERED THIS WEEKEND  — OpenAI boss Sam Altman told POLITICO Decoded that the world …

U.S. military says latest strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean kills 4  —  The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said it attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday …