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 …

Exclusive: Ramaswamy doubles down on explosive ad featuring rival's mother, despite backlash  —  Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor is pouring $4 million into a bombshell ad in which his opponent's estranged mother attacks her daughter — doubling down on the message despite fierce bipartisan backlash, Axios has learned.

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 …

A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon.  His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.  —  A Billionaire Wanted a Pardon.  His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.  —  A prominent Venezuelan was seeking clemency.  He got it not long after his daughter gave Ms. Habba, a lawyer close to President Trump, a lucrative job.

How Rough Is It for Republicans?  Look at This North Carolina District.  —  North Carolina's 11th Congressional District sits in a rural and conservative region of the state, has been held by a Republican for more than a decade and backed Donald Trump by a nearly double-digit margin in 2024.

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.

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 …

FiftyPlusOne just caught a pollster faking data — and they copped to it  —  On Tuesday, Oct. 20, FiftyPlusOne reached out to Wedgewood Polls, a self-professed polling firm, with a request for comment on an investigation we had conducted into their alleged survey research.

America Needs to Reckon With What Trump 2.0 Has Done.  Planning Should Start Now.  —  America has to reckon with what Trump 2.0 has wrought.  It's the only path back to a functional government.  Here's how we start.  —  A reckoning is coming for the Trump administration.

Trump Pushes to Evict the Press From the White House  —  President Trump has talked about replacing the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room with an indoor swimming pool.  —  In late August, during one of Karoline Leavitt's final meetings with President Trump in the Oval Office …

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 …

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

ICE Profiteers Trying To Buy the Senate for Republicans  —  Their targets include multiple GOP candidates in tight races and incumbents whose seats are in danger, including chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Susan Collins (R-ME), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), and Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL).

Supreme Court won't revive Trump administration's transgender inmate policy; Thomas, Alito dissent  —  The Supreme Court refused the Trump administration's bid to stop providing transgender inmates hormone treatments and certain surgeries on Wednesday, declining to lift a lower judge's block …

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 …

Trump is the ‘principal enemy of the U.S.’ for helping Russia, veteran foreign analyst says  —  Lawrence: Trump and Hegseth ‘not telling how much damage there really was’ by Iran war to Navy base  —  Trump desperate to save ‘yes man’ senator in Kansas, says Democratic Senate candidate

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.

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 …

Justice Kagan Warns Supreme Court Rulings Are Fueling Polarization  —  The liberal-leaning justice said both political parties are “in a race to the bottom” with partisan gerrymanders.  — Copy  —  Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday said voting and elections decisions from her conservative …

How ex-cops gained access to a massive surveillance network … When Andrae Wright left his job as an investigator at the Effingham County Sheriff's Office in 2021, he handed in his gun and badge.  But he kept something powerful: his log-in credentials for Flock, a police tool he used to search …

Thune makes bold prediction about Republicans' Senate chances as GOP pulls millions from key races  —  The Senate majority leader acknowledged headwinds in North Carolina, Georgia and Kansas as campaign cash shifts  —  FREMONT, Neb. — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. …

FEMA tells states to handle disasters on their own  —  The Trump administration's disaster chief told state officials Tuesday they must increase their financial reserves and emergency capabilities to handle most disasters on their own, without federal help.  —  Federal Emergency Management …

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.

Trump is Destroying Americans' Healthcare  —  Twelve million have lost coverage — and it's getting worse  —  On the eve of the midterm election, American families are feeling financially stressed As the chart above shows, the percentage of families who say that their financial situation is good has plunged.

Trump Voters Who Listen to Joe Rogan Take a Page From The Matrix for Midterms  —  Frustrated by the war in Iran and rising costs, the coalition of young men courted by the GOP is poised to sit out the midterms  —  “I've checked out.”  —  That's how Dallas Cruze sums up his political journey …

Trump bulldozes a golf course and the rule of law  —  Public Notice is proudly celebrating 5 years of independent journalism.  Our coverage is possible thanks for paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  ⛳️ Subscribe to PN ⛳️  —  Who gives a shit about a golf course?

Weeks before Election Day, Sen. Roger Marshall's campaign still had no one on payroll  —  An MS NOW analysis of FEC filings finds the Kansas Republican reported no payroll last quarter, unlike most Senate incumbents of both parties.  —  Sen. Roger Marshall's re-election campaign spent $5 million …