Trump uses anti-trans slur against Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina  —  Annie Andrews is a physician running against Sen. Darline Graham.

Facing Backlash, Trump Says His Super PAC Will Pay for Taxpayer-Funded Ads  —  The president said that his PAC, MAGA, Inc., would pay for TV ads promoting him which had been paid for with taxpayer money.  —  President Trump reversed course on Monday and announced that his super PAC would now pay …

Outgoing Sen. Tillis regrets pivotal vote for Hegseth: 'He's an actor.  He's not a manager'  —  Tillis, who voted to confirm Hegseth last year, said the defense secretary has “not demonstrat[ed] any knowledge of the Department of Defense.”  —  Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. …

Potential Iranian Drone Attack Led to Exit of U.S. Aircraft From British Air Base  —  According to U.S. and British officials, 12 B-1 Air Force bombers from R.A.F. Fairford air base were withdrawn because of the risk of a drone attack ordered by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Trump suggests letting Iran ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego at campaign rally  — 3 min Click here to listen to this article  — California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the president ‘deranged and dangerous.’  — The crowd in Grand Island, Neb., cheered the remarks about Los Angeles and San Diego.

Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan  —  President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.  —  The U.S. military has not carried out the death penalty since 1961.

Russian lab worker dies of suspected plague as 200 enter medical observation  —  The female staffer at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East died from a “pneumonia of undetermined” origin last week, according to a regional governor.

White House blocks Politico from Air Force One amid press access lawsuit  —  The White House is refusing to allow Politico on Air Force One on Monday, which means the news organization cannot fulfill its press corps pool responsibilities.  —  A Politico spokesperson confirmed that the publication …

AI Versus Everything Else  —  Until now, discussions of the potential economic problems created by the AI boom have mostly focused on the future.  Will it destroy millions of jobs?  Is there a bubble and will it cause a severe recession if it bursts?  Will it destroy humanity?

Palm Beach GOP endorses candidate accused of child sex abuse  —  Suspended Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Mike Caruso said he still “intend[s] to win” the November election and has not abandoned his campaign — nor has the local Republican Party abandoned him — even after his August arrest on allegations he molested a small child.

Trump reportedly eyes easing access to tax-exempt diesel  —  President Trump is reportedly poised to suspend restrictions on a type of diesel fuel that is currently exempt from taxes in a move intended to deliver temporary pricing relief. … - That's down from the all-time high of $6.53 set on Sept. 22 but up 71% from a year earlier.

Jim Bakker, Television Preacher Felled by Sex and Financial Scandals, Dies at 86  —  With his wife, Tammy Faye, Mr. Bakker built a broadcasting juggernaut around the gospel of prosperity.  —  Jim Bakker, a television evangelist who lost his popular and prosperous ministry in a 1980s sex scandal …

Texas Pediatricians Face Paxton Investigations for Vaccinating Children  —  Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate, has alleged a sprawling profit-driven conspiracy.  Pediatricians say the accusations are an attempt at intimidation.

Megyn Kelly on Cornell's Jane Doe: “I'm just going to be honest, she's not the most attractive gal.  She's extremely beefy in her arms and her legs.”  —  Kelly: Jane Doe “liked the feeling of being sexy and desired and wanted, ... and that's why she kept saying yes”

Ohio early voting begins with US Congress control on the line  —  Early voting begins on Tuesday in Ohio, where the winners of November's midterm elections will help determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the US Congress for the next two years, given the state has one Senate seat …

Trump wants to rewrite the midterm lexicon  —  President Trump has long nicknamed his opponents, and now, as November approaches, he's even trying to dictate the vocabulary around key issues. … - But as polling on those issues continues to haunt the president's party, Trump's new vocabulary may not be enough to change voters' minds.

Trump calls for media outlets to be ‘arrested’ over rally coverage  —  President Trump said Monday that reporters from The New York Times and other media outlets should be “arrested” over their coverage of his Saturday rally in Ohio.  —  “The Ohio Arena was already full to the brim …

“Project Meridian” is the stuff of satire  —  To commemorate PN's 5th anniversary, this week we're offering paid subscriptions at the special yearly rate of $40 (or about 16¢ per edition).  This newsletter is only possible thanks to the support of paid subscribers.

Why deep-red Kansas has become an unexpected Senate battleground … In a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 1932, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall suddenly finds himself in a competitive race with weeks to go until the 2026 midterm elections.