Top Items:
Associated Press:
Vance says he's ‘disgusted’ by GOP pushback to Ramaswamy ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother — Vice President JD Vance said during a campaign visit to Ohio on Wednesday that he is “disgusted” by the Republican pushback against an ad by Vivek Ramaswamy that features the estranged mother …
Discussion:
NBC News, The Washington Sun, Forbes, Blaze Media, National Review, Washington Examiner, The Independent, Fox News, Mediaite and National Politics
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Zachary Pleat / Media Matters for America:
Here are the right-wing media figures endorsing “despicable” ad from Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy — The ad features Democratic nominee Amy Acton's estranged mother, who defended her husband's reported sexual assault of Acton when she was a child
Politico:
Republicans' mom burn messaging — With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner — Good Wednesday morning. Days after Bradley Whitford blew off steam in “The Diplomat's” White House swimming pool, a new round of renovation murmurs are brewing around the briefing room. Coincidence?
Discussion:
Washington Post, Daily Kos, The Mahablog and The Hill
Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:
As Ohio attack ad backfires, Vivek Ramaswamy doubles down
Discussion:
Esquire, The Hill, New York Times, The Guardian, The Wrap, Erick Erickson's Show Notes, Wall Street Journal, The Independent, The Rooster, Forbes, Deseret News, Dr. Amy Acton for Governor, Mediaite, Media Matters for America, MS NOW, New York Post, The Daily Caller, NBC News and National Review
Gregory Svirnovskiy / Politico:
‘Stop whining’: Vance dismisses Republican criticism of Ramaswamy ad
‘Stop whining’: Vance dismisses Republican criticism of Ramaswamy ad
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, NewsMax.com, National Politics, Mediaite, twitchy.com, The Hill and PoliticusUSA
Julie Carr Smyth / Associated Press:
Democrat in Ohio governor's race pushes back against unattributed ad featuring her estranged mother
Democrat in Ohio governor's race pushes back against unattributed ad featuring her estranged mother
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune, MS NOW, Wonkette, The Independent, Newsweek, Abortion, Every Day, The Hill, Mediaite, Nightcap, The Status Kuo, The Daily Wire, Adam Kinzinger, The Gateway Pundit, The Washington Sun, CBS News, New York Post, WOSU Public Media, Forbes, WKMG, Ohio Capital Journal, The Wrap, Ace of Spades HQ and Cleveland 19 News
Alex Isenstadt / Axios:
Exclusive: Ramaswamy doubles down on explosive ad featuring rival's mother, despite backlash
Exclusive: Ramaswamy doubles down on explosive ad featuring rival's mother, despite backlash
Discussion:
The Bulwark, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, NewsMax.com, The Hill, Mediaite, MS NOW, The Daily Wire, CNN, Mother Jones, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Media Matters for America, PolitiFact, Newsweek, The Daily Caller, Zeteo, Liberal Currents, The Independent, New Republic, Tangle, Mercury News, CBS News, LiveNOW from FOX, KEYT-TV, Dr. Amy Acton for Governor, ActiVote, Eschaton, KIFI-TV and Grabien
Nate Cohn / New York Times:
Democrats Have a Wide Lead in Our New Poll as Trump Slides — The map favors Republicans, but cracks in their base are leaving them vulnerable in defending House and Senate control. — The final New York Times/Siena University national poll of the 2026 midterm campaign finds Democrats leading nationally …
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Vox:
This Democrat's accountability plan has Trump fuming — The 2026 midterms are less than two weeks away, which means we'll soon have a better idea of what the next two years of American politics could look like. If Democrats win at least one chamber of Congress — and they're comfortable favorites …
New York Times:
Trump Approval Hits New Low Two Weeks Before Midterms, Poll Finds — Likely voters favored Democratic candidates over Republicans by 11 percentage points in their congressional district, a New York Times/Siena poll found. — President Trump's approval rating hit a new low just a few weeks …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Politico, The Guardian, NPR, Newsweek, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The Hill and Reason
G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:
Poll: Democrats post their biggest generic-ballot lead yet, two weeks out — Democrats lead by 10 among registered voters and 12 among likely voters, both highs for our poll, as Trump sets new lows on immigration and border security … Just under two weeks before Election Day …
Politico:
US, allies warn of critical vulnerabilities in programming underlying 70% of the internet — The National Security Agency and cyber agencies in Europe, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere on Wednesday urged organizations to take their websites offline immediately after OpenAI tools found critical bugs …
Discussion:
The PHP Foundation, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Verge, Wired, Associated Press, Gizmodo, Mother Jones, The Atlantic, NewsMax.com, TechCrunch, Blaze Media, OpenAI, Wiz Blog, Mashable, Yle News, Cloudflare, Reuters, KIFI-TV, Forbes, Krebs on Security, Insurance Journal and The Register, more at Techmeme »
Robert E. Rubin / New York Times:
In Six Decades of Public Life, I Never Thought I Would Write This Piece — The economy has been voters' top issue in four of the six midterm elections this century — and 2026 appears all but certain to make it five of seven. Beyond the cost of living, the war in Iran and tariffs …
Discussion:
Mediaite and DeLong's Grasping …
New York Times:
Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion for Deceiving Users on Privacy — The penalty, one of the largest levied against the tech giant, stemmed from a lawsuit by New Mexico claiming the social media company had misled users about their data privacy. — A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion …
Discussion:
Axios, Gizmodo, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, Reuters, MS NOW, Source New Mexico, Straight Arrow, CBS News, TechCrunch, Deseret News, Variety, Courthouse News Service, TheDesk.net, The Verge, The Gateway Pundit, The Information, The Wrap, CNBC, Mediaite and Fox News, more at Techmeme »
New York Times:
Russia Releases American Who Was Jailed for 4 Years, State Media Reports — The move buys good will with President Trump while costing the Russian leader, Vladimir V. Putin, little. — Russia on Wednesday released an American man who was held for four years on what the State Department …
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CNN:
Pentagon grants DHS permission to test heat ray weapon for potential use at border — Federal agencies US military Pete Hegseth National security — The Pentagon has given the Department of Homeland Security permission to test a military-grade heat ray and develop tactics to potentially use …
Discussion:
Axios, The Daily Caller, NewsMax.com, The Independent, Military.com and WTOP News
Madeleine May / CBS News:
Federal agents knock on doors to track down possible noncitizen voters ahead of midterms — Armed and in uniform, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status — and to inquire …
Ariana Baio / The Guardian:
Bush's brother crosses party lines to vote for James Talarico for Senate — Republican Neil Bush says he was ‘deeply troubled’ by Ken Paxton's conduct and ‘enormously impressed’ with Talarico — Neil Bush, a son of former president George HW Bush and a lifelong Republican …
Discussion:
The Hill, New York Times, CBS News, Breitbart, The Independent and HuffPost
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Michelle Del Rey / The Washington Sun:
George W. Bush's Brother Backs Talarico and Bashes Ken Paxton
George W. Bush's Brother Backs Talarico and Bashes Ken Paxton
Discussion:
San Antonio Current, Mediaite and Houston Public Media
John Hendel / Politico:
Brendan Carr takes up Trump's ‘fake polls’ fight — Brendan Carr warned broadcasters Wednesday to vet their polling carefully, suggesting his Federal Communications Commission could punish outlets for sharing results the administration believes deceive viewers.
Discussion:
Reuters, Washington Examiner and TheDesk.net
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Kyle Chouinard / The Washington Sun:
DCCC Gets a $25 Million Credit Line — House Democrats' campaign arm signed off on a $25 million line of credit — among the largest it's ever opened — early last week as the party stretches itself to take advantage of an increasingly favorable electoral environment.
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Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:
Electronic Arts to Shed 400 Jobs, Shut Down BioWare to Cut Costs — The next ‘Mass Effect’ will be canceled as part of the layoffs — Electronic Arts Inc. said it will lay off staff and shut down BioWare, the long-running development studio behind roleplaying games such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Discussion:
Gizmodo, New York Post, Mashable, The Verge, CityNews Edmonton and Variety, more at Techmeme »
Mona Charen / The Bulwark:
The Real Lessons of the French Riots — France's major problem isn't immigration. — POLLS BEING WHAT THEY ARE, Republicans and their supporters must be feeling a bit like the condemned Frenchmen who rode to the guillotine during the Reign of Terror. It's fitting, then …
Discussion:
Agence France-Presse, Politico and Fox News
Democracy Defenders Fund:
Big Win for Federal Workers: Federal Court Rules OPM Broke the Law by Handing DOGE Access to Sensitive Data — U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York rules OPM unlawfully disclosed records belonging to tens of millions of current, former, and prospective federal workers
Discussion:
Electronic Frontier Foundation
US Department of Justice:
Six Charged in Large Scale Marriage Fraud Ring — For Immediate Release — U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts — For over a decade, alleged leader earned millions, arranging sham marriages between illegal aliens and U.S. citizens in Massachusetts; defendant bragged about Massachusetts being a “sanctuary”
Discussion:
Breitbart, Legal Insurrection, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, RedState and Fox News
Reuters:
US preparing to issue ordered departure of some personnel from Gulf embassies, say US officials — The US State Department is preparing to issue an ordered departure of some personnel and family members from US embassies across the Gulf region, three US officials said on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Mediaite
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
The House GOP's imminent decision on the Omar raid — House Republicans have publicly cheered on the Trump administration's investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar. But underneath the posturing, the raid raises thorny nonpartisan questions about how aggressively Congress wants to defend itself from encroaching federal prosecutors.
Discussion:
New York Post
Andrew Feinberg / The Independent:
Trump lost control and ordered me to be ‘quiet’ in the Oval Office. Then it got personal — What was supposed to be an announcement on fraud quickly devolved into Trump vs The Independent. Andrew Feinberg details how it all happened in the Oval Office — Leer en Español
Discussion:
Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Wonkette, Blaze Media, American Greatness, HuffPost, Crooks and Liars, The Wrap, Daily Mail, The Gateway Pundit, MPR News, The Hill, Breitbart, CBS News, Mediaite, Forbes, Legal Insurrection, VINnews, The Guardian, RedState, Newsweek, MS NOW and New York Post, more at Mediagazer »
David Adkins / Axios:
Americans' opinion of the CDC hits record low — Americans' ratings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have fallen to a record low, according to a recent Gallup poll, driven by a plunge in Democrats' views of the agency. — Why it matters: The CDC has been at the center …
Axios:
Scoop: Senate Republicans fear Mississippi is in play — Senate Republicans are weighing three last-ditch spending moves that would have been unimaginable six months ago: a cash infusion for Mississippi and even more money for South Carolina and Kansas. … But panic is spreading through the Republican Party.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Washington Post and NBC News
John McCormick / Wall Street Journal:
Minnesota's Democratic U.S. Senate Nominee Inflated Academic Record — Peggy Flanagan said she ‘graduated Phi Beta Kappa,’ but records raise questions about claim — Peggy Flanagan said she “graduated Phi Beta Kappa” while arguing a decade ago for legislation to encourage greater teacher diversity in Minnesota's public schools.
Discussion:
HotAir, MPR News, Breitbart, KSTP-TV, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, Mediaite, RedState, The Daily Wire and NewsMax.com
Emma Graham-Harrison / The Guardian:
Israeli military detains US politician Brad Lander and rabbis at olive harvest — About 80 US, Israeli and British volunteers held near Nahalin in West Bank and taken to police station — The Israeli military has detained about 80 US, Israeli and British volunteers helping Palestinians …
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, NPR, Washington Examiner, Reuters, NewsMax.com, Jerusalem Post, MS NOW, Associated Press, The Independent, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York Post, The Washington Sun, Wall Street Journal, VINnews, Bloomberg, Fox News, The Hill, New Republic, Mediaite and Eschaton
Max Fillion / Wall Street Journal:
The Trump Administration Wants More Tax Charges. It's Going to Be Tough. — The Justice Department has told its overworked fraud prosecutors to look for tax charges wherever they can, but law enforcement is already straining — The Trump administration wants to bulk up its antifraud push …
Joseph J. Schatz / Politico:
Michigan's sleeper race is waking up — It's nearly impossible to break through the political media maelstrom in Michigan right now if your name isn't Abdul El-Sayed or Mike Rogers. — But GOP and Democratic operatives in Lansing, Washington and beyond — not to mention utilities …
Reuters:
Venezuela to attract investors after elections, Branson says — British billionaire and Virgin Group owner Richard Branson said on Wednesday that Venezuela will attract more foreign investors once the country holds elections, as the South American nation seeks to boost capital inflows in sectors like oil and gas.
Discussion:
Bloomberg
City of Toledo:
Hazardous Materials Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Orders in Effect for North Toledo — What happened? — At 10:48 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Toledo Fire & Rescue ordered everyone within a 1-mile radius of 1266 Progress Ave (MC Tank Terminal) to evacuate. because of a hazardous materials release.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, RedState, Washington Examiner and The Hill
Justin Jouvenal / Washington Post:
Trump officials ask Supreme Court to let border security project resume in national park — The move comes after an injunction blocking construction on a more than 500-mile stretch in and around Big Bend National Park in Texas. — SummaryLoading... The Trump administration asked …
Discussion:
CBS News
Jenna Monnin / The Washington Sun:
DNC Says MAGA Inc. Is Airing Another Ad Created With Taxpayer Dollars — The Democratic National Committee flagged to a federal judge this week that a super PAC linked to President Donald Trump paid to air a second ad produced by White House staff using taxpayer dollars …
Beege Welborn / HotAir:
Arrests: Kissimmee, FL Mayor on Grand Theft Charges; NJ Deputy AG for Child Sexual Abuse Materials — Gracious, it's been a banner run for Democrats over the past five days or so. — The breaking news this morning was the arrest of Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa, who seems to have gotten caught …
Discussion:
WESH-TV, Blaze Media, WFTV, ABC News, The Gateway Pundit, FOX 35 Orlando, RedState and The Post Millennial
James Romoser / Wall Street Journal:
Supreme Court Maintains Access to Transgender Medical Care in Federal Prisons — Court blocks the Trump administration from banning hormone treatment and gender-related accommodations for federal inmates — WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration …
