Inside Democrats' Secret Effort to Stack Alaska's Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan  —  Inside Democrats' Secret Effort to Stack Alaska's Ballot  —  In May, an unusual challenger entered the Senate race opposing Senator Dan Sullivan, the Alaska Republican.

Vance Reaches Out to Iranian Hard-Liner in Bid to Restart Peace Talks  —  Vice president sent letter to Iran's security chief at Trump's direction  —  Vice President JD Vance is engaging one of Iran's most powerful hard-liners to revive peace negotiations even as President Trump threatens …

Exclusive: Ad backfiring on Ramaswamy, GOP poll finds … - The ad “is having a significant effect on the gubernatorial race,” a memo attached to the poll states. … - Acton has said she was sexually abused by her stepfather when she was 12 and that her mother sided with her abuser.

Hegseth Fires a Top General  —  The U.S. military may be planning a return to war, but the director of planning is out.  —  Earlier this week, the Pentagon's chief planner, Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, was ousted from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  No explanation was given.

Massive Leak Exposes 41,000 Homeland Security Workers—Including Undercover ICE Agents  —  The leaked records include the locations of ICE and CBP facilities, workers' cellphone numbers, and the members of groups tied to wiretap programs, Palantir software, and xAI's Grok chatbot.

A List of Things Democrats Might Do If They Retake Power  —  There are plenty of reasons to fear a Democratic trifecta in Washington, which next week's midterms may very well set up for 2028.  Below is a list of actions and policies that give conservatives cause for alarm:

Democrats in striking distance: New CNN polls in four states highlight party's path to Senate majority  —  Donald Trump Congressional news Election polls Senate election  —  CNN polling across four key Senate races in the final days of the midterm campaign finds Democrats well-positioned …

Elon Musk Is Trying To Buy Texas.  It Might Earn Him ‘Retribution.’  —  The trillionaire's unprecedented political spending in the 2026 midterms could cost him in his home state of Texas if Democrats breakthrough and win in November.  —  Elon Musk, the world's first and only trillionaire …

Judge Rejects Trump Officials' Bid to Set Aside California Ballots  —  The judge ruled that no immediate action was necessary, dealing another setback to the administration as it moves to target voting by noncitizens.  —  A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the latest Trump administration attempt …

An Unpredictable President, a Grim White House: Trump Faces Down the Midterms  —  The White House has been rocked by turnover and anxiety over the midterms.  The president, who is tightening his inner circle, has lashed out at critics, held meandering rallies and feasted on a diet of news clips and “A.I. slop,” as one aide put it.

Kennedy to Allow Broad Use of Unapproved Peptide Injections  —  In a unilateral declaration by the health secretary, several injections promoted by online influencers will become widely available.  The F.D.A. had advised against the move.  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr …

Conservative influencer James O'Keefe charged with unlawful voting and identity theft in Minnesota  —  O'Keefe was charged alongside fellow influencer Cam Higby after they allegedly misrepresented themselves at polling places during Minnesota's primary in August.

ECB President Lagarde resigns at time of mounting challenges for Europe  —  European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde announced her resignation on Thursday, ending months of speculation about her future just as Europe enters a period of rising economic volatility and divisive electoral politics.

The battle for the future of a House Democratic majority is raging  —  The battle for the future of a House Democratic majority is already underway.  —  In phone calls, group chats and strategy sessions, competing wings of the party are jockeying for position, seeking to build unity …

Cabinet Officials on the Campaign Trail?  Ethics Experts Say Some Are Breaking the Law.  —  As Trump officials stump for Republican candidates facing difficult races, ethics experts say they are being lax about complying with the Hatch Act, a federal anti-corruption law.

Elizabeth Warren eyes post-election Senate leadership move  —  Elizabeth Warren is looking at making a move within the Senate Democratic leadership team after the midterms.  —  Warren, who is currently in the No. 5 spot, isn't interested in being top leader but could try to take on a bigger role …

Every way the polls could be wrong, in one chart  —  You should expect a small amount of polling error — but nobody can tell you in which direction … At this point, you must be getting whiplash from all the different takes speculating about what type of voters the pollsters are missing this year.

Johnson signals he'll remain atop GOP, scrambling leadership landscape  —  Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) recent hints that he intends to remain GOP leader even if Republicans lose the House have rattled the party's leadership outlook and raised fresh new questions about the GOP's future heading into the next Congress.

Attack ads flood Mississippi's shockingly-competitive Senate race  —  The most-aired ad in the closing stretch of Mississippi's Senate race features a Jeffrey Epstein survivor attacking GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith for voting against releasing files related to the convicted human trafficker.

U.S. Is Discussing Sanctions Relief for Russian Fund, Official Acknowledges  —  A Russian official said potential relief for a state investment fund was part of talks.  Russia has sought to wring economic benefits from the negotiations on ending the war with Ukraine.