Top Items:
Washington Post:
Secret documents reveal donors behind $330 million for Trump's ballroom — The records offer a panoramic view of a fundraising campaign that is extraordinary for its size and opacity. — Loading... $2.5M — $25M — $10M — $5M … $1M — $20.3M … $7.5M … $2.5M
Discussion:
New Republic, The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes, The Daily Caller, Variety, Mediaite, The Verge and Deadline, more at Mediagazer »
Wired:
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Was an Affiliate Marketer for a Fitness MLM — Trump's newly installed press secretary tells WIRED that in the early 2010s, she promoted a product for a company then called Beachbody, which she described as “sort of a pyramid scheme.”
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Shawn McCreesh / New York Times:
Trump's New Press Secretary: Not-Quite Attorney at Law — Katie Zacharia told The New York Times that the confusion over her legal credentials is the result of one big misunderstanding. — Is President Trump's new press secretary a lawyer — or did she just play one on TV?
Julia Manchester / The Hill:
Zacharia says she misheard question on where she took bar exam
Zacharia says she misheard question on where she took bar exam
Discussion:
New York Post, Forbes, Advocate, Mediaite, The Status Kuo, Above the Law, The New World and Truthout
Politico:
Trump's ice maiden is under fire — With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner — Good Thursday morning. Here's an eye-popper to start your morning. Get in touch. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Texas Democrat James Talarico raised a record-breaking $64 million this summer …
Discussion:
Esquire, New York Magazine, The Hill, Breitbart, New Republic, The Independent, Mediaite and Eschaton
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Politico:
The GOP's midterm lifeline: Maybe the polls are wrong — Republicans nervous about the midterms are increasingly turning to the same salve: The polling will be wrong. — They aren't suggesting Republicans will have a good night come Nov. 3 — or that the party will hold the House.
Discussion:
The Message Box, Washington Examiner, Daily Kos, Wide World of News, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire
Adam Wren / Politico:
James Talarico announces record-breaking $64M haul — Texas Democrat James Talarico raised a staggering $64 million this summer — the largest third-quarter haul of any Senate candidate in history. The national Democratic darling raised more than $134.3 million since launching his campaign …
Discussion:
CNBC, Axios, New York Times, NewsMax.com, CBS News, The Hill, Newsweek, Daily Caller News Foundation, NBC News and Washington Examiner
Julie K. Brown / Miami Herald:
Ex-Florida congressman Matt Gaetz accused in suit of sex trafficking young women — Two women have filed a federal civil lawsuit accusing former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and two others of participating in an alleged sex trafficking scheme involving young women, drugs and traveling across state lines.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Washington Sun, MS NOW, MeidasTouch, Forbes, New Republic, Newsweek, The Guardian, TMZ.com, The Independent and Mediaite
David French / New York Times:
Russia Was Losing. Enter President Trump. — It's horrible to have to type these words, but the president of the United States is throwing Vladimir Putin a lifeline. He is turning the American government against Ukraine, funding Russia and — perhaps worst of all — playing directly into Putin's theory of victory.
Discussion:
American Greatness, Yahoo News, New York Post, NewsMax.com, Esquire, Foreign Affairs and Axios
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Financial Times:
Zelenskyy defies Trump as Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian refineries
Discussion:
New York Times, CNN, CNBC, The Daily Caller, The Moscow Times, KTVZ-TV, Semafor, Washington Examiner, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Forbes, The Hill, The Kyiv Independent, Politico, The Floridian and WAMU
Phillips P. OBrien / Phillips's Newsletter:
Midweek Update #31: Paying The Price For Trusting The USA
Midweek Update #31: Paying The Price For Trusting The USA
Discussion:
CBS News and Straight Arrow
Emily Guskin / ABC News:
Wide majority of Americans oppose livestreaming Nidal Hasan's execution: ABC/Post/Ipsos poll — A slim majority support the Fort Hood shooter's execution by firing squad. — This undated photo provided by the Bell County Sheriff's Department shows former Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan.
Discussion:
The Hill, Scripps News, Blaze Media, CNN, The Wrap, Futurism, Washington Examiner and Political.org
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Washington Post:
Trump cancels Hegseth's plan to live-stream Fort Hood shooter's execution
Discussion:
CNBC, HotAir, The Hill, MS NOW, RedState, Global News, Mediaite, NewsMax.com, PoliticusUSA, Deseret News, The Daily Caller, The Verge, Stars & Stripes and Political.org
Associated Press:
Trump, after bipartisan backlash, says Pentagon won't livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter
Trump, after bipartisan backlash, says Pentagon won't livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter
Avery Lotz / Axios:
Trump says Fort Hood shooter's execution will not be livestreamed
Trump says Fort Hood shooter's execution will not be livestreamed
Discussion:
Mediaite
Steve Zalusky / Chicago Tribune:
US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and family were at Aurora temple when Palatine man tried to carry out attack — U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said he and his family were at the Aurora Hindu temple Sunday when authorities allege a 19-year-old Palatine man attempted to carry out a mass shooting there.
Discussion:
Axios and The American Bazaar
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Arthur Delaney / HuffPost:
GOP Rep On Iran War: ‘There Is No War As We Speak’ — Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) represents a competitive district and sought to downplay the political impact of the war in Iran. — WASHINGTON — Rob Wittman, a Republican congressman from Virginia, doesn't think of President Donald Trump's war in Iran as a war.
Discussion:
Middle East Monitor
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Steve Benen / MS NOW:
On gas prices, Trump recycles a weird argument to pretend bad news is good news
On gas prices, Trump recycles a weird argument to pretend bad news is good news
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, Zeteo, Semafor, KQED, The Washington Sun, HuffPost, Daily Kos and Deseret News
Josephine Walker / Axios:
Trump's former Senate pick backs Democrat in New Hampshire … - “His ability to navigate the complex landscape of our economy, tackle the national debt with a steady hand, and work towards solutions that bridge divides is especially critical in today's challenging political climate.”
Discussion:
The Washington Sun
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Kevin Landrigan / New Hampshire Union Leader:
Don Bolduc, 2022 GOP Senate nominee, endorses Democrat Chris Pappas over John E. Sununu
Don Bolduc, 2022 GOP Senate nominee, endorses Democrat Chris Pappas over John E. Sununu
Discussion:
The Hill
New York Times:
A Reader on What He Thinks We Get Wrong About Trump — In this first installment of “Sound Off,” Patrick Healy, assistant managing editor for The New York Times, speaks with Mark Jacob, former metro editor for The Chicago Tribune, who shares his criticism of Times coverage. — “There's just a lack of bravery.
Discussion:
Stop the Presses
David Collins / WBAL:
Eastern Shore forum erupts as Rep. Andy Harris clashes with audience, threatens reporter removal — A highly emotional candidate forum on the Eastern Shore ended Tuesday night with drama — but it wasn't jabs between the candidates. — In a forum with Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz …
Discussion:
Washingtonian, WTTG-TV, New Republic, Mediaite, Newsweek and The Banner
RELATED:
sos.ca.gov:
California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., Issues Statement in Response to U.S. Department of Justice Letter — Sacramento, CA - Yesterday, the Secretary of State's (SOS) office received a demand to review a list of an unknown number of people the “Federal Government believes …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Wire, NBC News and Reuters
RELATED:
Alexander Mallin / ABC News:
DOJ sues California over alleged non-citizens on voter rolls
DOJ sues California over alleged non-citizens on voter rolls
Discussion:
Scripps News, Associated Press, Fox News and The Atlantic
Steve Vladeck / One First:
Bonus 257: Hard Questions About Court Expansion — Those who maintain that any Supreme Court reform *must* include Court expansion should have to answer some difficult questions about the precedent it would set and the effects it would produce. — ∙ Paid
CNN:
Exclusive: US considering using ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iran, sources say — Donald Trump The Middle East US military Federal agencies — The US military has developed new strike plans that include potentially using the so-called “mother of all bombs” to target Iranian energy infrastructure …
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Nasty email fight between 2 top Trump appointees spills into the open — Two top appointees of President Donald Trump, including the deputy secretary of State, have been embroiled in a monthslong fight that include accusations of leaks to the media and “bizarre” threats of defamation …
Discussion:
emptywheel, New Republic, Mediaite and The Bulwark
The Citizen Lab:
Exposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware — This is the first-ever public confirmation of zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via targeted ads. We call the technique AdFection, and show how it was used to infect devices at Al Jazeera with Candiru's spyware.
Discussion:
Politico, Straight Arrow, Wired, Forbes, Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Register, Gadget Review, TechCrunch, 404 Media, The Verge and Middle East Monitor, more at Mediagazer »
Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
FBI agents and analysts fired for roles in Trump classified files probe sue to get their jobs back — FBI employees fired for their roles in the investigation of President Donald Trump's retention of classified documents at his Florida estate sued on Thursday to get their jobs back …
Discussion:
NBC News, CBS News, Straight Arrow and The Gateway Pundit
Max Rego / The Hill:
Voters in Fox News poll list government corruption as top concern, beating inflation, healthcare — Six in 10 respondents to a recent survey said they were extremely concerned about government corruption, putting it ahead of inflation, healthcare and other issues.
Discussion:
Fox News
Katherine Tully-McManus / Politico:
Authorities investigate ‘suspicious substances’ mailed to congressional offices — Authorities are investigating letters containing “suspicious substances” sent to multiple Capitol Hill offices, according to a notice sent to senior congressional staff. “Law enforcement officials are working …
Discussion:
Associated Press, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, Fox News, NBC News, CBS News, MS NOW, Scripps News, CNN, Roll Call, Votebeat, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, RedState, WTTG-TV, The Independent, Mediaite and ABC7
Natalie Hausmann / Democracy Docket:
North Carolina early voting begins, with students targeted by suppression schemes — This summer, Shia Rozier watched her state's top election officials vote against a polling place on her university campus — again. Sitting front row, she held a sign. It showed the distance, over a mile …
Discussion:
Ohio Capital Journal and Courthouse News Service
Marist Poll:
2026 Midterm Elections in Iowa, October 2026 — Turek and Hinson in Close Contest for U.S. Senate... Sand Leads Lahn in Race for Governor — Just three points separate Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson among likely voters in the U.S. Senate race in Iowa.
Discussion:
The Hill, YouGov, Forbes, Breitbart and The Texas Politics Project
Mia McCarthy / Politico:
Bernie Moreno says GOP needs to prep for ‘Last Supper’ reconciliation bill — Sen. Bernie Moreno said Thursday he expects the Senate to move a party-line legislative package after the midterm elections — especially if Democrats flip one or both chambers. “We will do a reconciliation bill …
Discussion:
Federal News Network
Scott Bauer / Associated Press:
Wisconsin elections officials issue guidance for handling federal agents at polls — Elections officials in battleground Wisconsin on Thursday approved guidance for local clerks to help them know what to do if federal law enforcement officials show up at the polls on Election Day, as some activists fear might happen.
Discussion:
Democracy Docket
Birch Smith / The UnPopulist:
ICE Is a Death Machine — On Oct. 8 in New York City, an ICE officer in street clothes approached a stopped car with his gun drawn. When the driver began to pull forward, officers opened fire on the vehicle. Inside were 28-year-old Oscar Belgal and his five-year-old son.
Bloomberg:
Grace Hopper Confab's Sudden Cancellation Raises Alarm for Women in Tech — The cancellation of this year's Grace Hopper Celebration, one of the largest gatherings of women in technology, is the latest example of how the retreat from diversity initiatives is reshaping opportunities for women in tech.
Discussion:
The Independent and Tom's Hardware

