Hegseth says public can watch execution  —  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the public will be able to watch the execution of the Fort Hood shooter by firing squad.  —  Why it matters: The U.S. hasn't held a public execution in 90 years, and Hegseth's remarks raise questions …

Trump's foreign worker crackdown comes for Microsoft, Adobe, IT firms  —  Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Trump administration is suspending Microsoft, Adobe and several other IT firms' ability to hire foreign-born workers for permanent residency in the U.S.

'We don't want this right now': James Talarico off the trail with the flu for 12 days  —  In final stretch of the Texas Senate race, Talarico has not appeared in person since Sept. 26; he is expected to be back this weekend.  Opponent Ken Paxton is calling for “proof of life.”

Photo shows top Trump aide's daughter with pro-Russia politician in Bosnia  —  An image circulated on social media and verified by CBS News shows Katie Wiles, the daughter of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, recently traveled to Republika Srpska, the Bosnian-controlled territory led by pro-Russian Serb strongman Milorad Dodik.

Our Big Fat Greek Bribery Scandal  —  Last year, Donald Trump pardoned Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar 1, who was under indictment for federal bribery charges.  All he expected in return was that Cuellar, out of gratitude, would immediately switch parties and become a Republican.  To his shock, Cuellar never did.

Justice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson  —  The former Trump aide was a star witness before the Jan. 6 committee.  The case is being pursued by the Civil Rights Division, led by Harmeet Dhillon.  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is seeking …

‘We have to suck it up’: Ken Paxton privately suggests cutting federal benefit programs to reduce national deficit  —  In a conversation that has been leaked in pieces to multiple publications, the GOP Senate nominee called for “reasonable cuts to mandatory spending,” which is driven by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

With Americans in a Sour Mood, Democratic Voters Are More Engaged in Midterms  —  Trump approval drops to 30%, as 44% of voters see their vote as ‘against’ him  —  Why did we do this?  —  Pew Research Center conducts research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics.

Trump: Anyone saying “AI” is “THE ENEMY!”  The White House uses it  —  President Trump on Thursday called anyone who uses “Artificial Intelligence” instead of “Super Intelligence” “THE ENEMY!”  — even as the White House continues using the term “AI.”

Number of teens who identify themselves as gay or bisexual is in ‘free fall’  —  Conservatives have trumpeted the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but researchers say the reasons for the decline are unclear.  —  Loading...  Young teenagers are less likely to identify as lesbian …

JD Vance has a potty mouth.  And he wants you to know it. … Speaking before a crowd in North Carolina last month, Vice President JD Vance stumbled: “We need somebody who will fight back against the fart left,” he said, then corrected himself, saying he meant the “far left.”

Mike Johnson voices uncertainty about his future if GOP loses control  —  House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that he could leave Congress if Democrats regain control — the farthest he has gone in acknowledging what he would do in a GOP House minority.  “Heaven forbid, if we lose this majority …

Anthropic bans ‘abusive or cruel behavior’ toward Claude  —  The usage policy update also adds new rules addressing propaganda campaigns, surveillance, and weapon development. … Anthropic is making changes to its usage policy for the first time in over a year to reflect new and high-risk cases …

“Go After Anybody”: ICE Gets Terrifying Marching Orders in California … Immigration and Customs Enforcement has quietly launched a 45-day immigration crackdown in California ahead of the midterm elections, instructing its officers to “go after anybody.”  —  The so-called “Operation Safe California” …

Inflation on many everyday items was entirely due to tariffs, NY Fed says … The cost of many everyday items would have declined last year and early this year without President Donald Trump's tariffs, according to the New York Federal Reserve.  —  The cost of 67 categories of goods …

How a U.S. Diplomat Suppressed and Altered Reports Critical of Israel  —  A top aide to Ambassador Mike Huckabee skewed information to portray the Netanyahu government in a favorable light, according to multiple officials and documents obtained by The Times.

White House Floats Russ Vought's Deputy to Lead Congress' Watchdog Arm  —  The White House has floated placing one of its top officials to serve as the head of the government's most powerful watchdog, a move that could threaten the oversight of President Donald Trump's overhaul of the executive branch.

Hurricane Isaias is expected to get stronger on its way to Florida, Alabama and Mississippi coasts  —  Isaias strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane as it barreled toward the U.S. Gulf Coast on Thursday, prompting orders for tourists to abandon beaches for safer spots inland …

Democrats spy a red-state opening.  There may not be enough cash for it.  —  Democrats' eyes may be bigger than their wallets.  —  Democrats across a slate of deep-red states are clamoring for more cash to fight for Senate seats that suddenly seem within reach, with polling showing …

Arizona congressional candidate says she was sexually assaulted when repairing campaign signs  —  An Arizona congressional candidate says she was knocked unconscious and sexually assaulted this summer while she was repairing campaign signs overnight.  Bernadette Greene-Placentia told investigators …

ICE Agents Shoot Man in New York, Victim Taken to Hospital  —  US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot a man in the Marble Hill neighborhood of the Bronx on Thursday afternoon, according to a person familiar with the matter.  —  The shooting occurred at about 4 p.m., the New York Police Department said in a statement.

The Democrats Who Let Trump's Oligarchs Buy Hollywood  —  Today on TAP: The Ellisons enlisted a host of Democratic notables to undercut the proposed merger's opponents.  —  The more we find out about the Ellisons' purchase of Warner Bros., the more dispiriting the tale becomes.

Tanker Attacks Push Deeper Into Gulf, Rattle Oil Markets  —  A strike near Qatar, far from the usual flashpoint at the Strait of Hormuz, raises fears of wider disruptions  —  An attack on an oil tanker near Qatar, deep inside the Persian Gulf, has raised fears among traders that a surge …

MAHA loyalists accuse Trump administration of ‘broken promises’  —  A scorecard from MAHA activists suggests the Trump administration has broken most of its promises to the movement.  The “burn feels especially raw,” one prominent activist said.  —  Some supporters of the “Make America Healthy Again” …

Republicans Have an Andrew Tate Eel-Sex Problem  —  FOR ACCUSED SEX TRAFFICKERS AND RAPISTS, Andrew and Tristan Tate have been a real hit with the American right over the years.  —  A gleeful Tucker Carlson visited the Romanian compound shared by the brothers while they were under house arrest …

Homeland Security targets Democratic campaign after ICE arrest in Pennsylvania  —  When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure this week, it included a political attack that's drawing complaints from Democrats and a nonpartisan government watchdog.