memeorandum: A Pro-Russia Strongman at Mar-a-Lago (Isaac Stanley-Becker/The Atlantic)

4:30 PM ET, November 1, 2026

Top Items:

Mychael Schnell / MS NOW:

Haley Stevens endorses GOP's Mike Rogers as Michigan Democrats feud — DETROIT — Rep. Haley Stevens, the Michigan Democrat who narrowly lost her party's Senate primary in August, not only attended church services Sunday morning with Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers — she endorsed him, too.

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Haley Stevens' High(est) Profile Meltdown — Let me share a few quick thoughts about former Democratic senate primary candidate Haley Stevens. As you've likely seen Stevens showed up this morning at a Black church in Detroit with Republican senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:

1 last weekend campaign push — Candidates across the country are scrambling to get their final messages out before Election Day. — Some House Dems are now pushing to kick Haley Stevens out of their caucus — Several House Democrats say they support removing Haley Stevens …

Discussion: Legal Insurrection

Violet Jira / Washington Post:

Democrat Haley Stevens appears with Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers — The appearance of Stevens, who recently clashed with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed over an ad, marked a stunning turn. She previously said she wanted a Democratic victory in the Senate race. — Loading...

Discussion: NBC News, Axios, The Guardian, Salon, Mediaite, The Daily Wire, Joe.My.God., Jewish Insider, Associated Press, Townhall and Eschaton

Christa Dutton / The Washington Sun:

Haley Stevens Breaks With Her Party to Back Republican Mike Rogers — DETROIT — Rep. Haley Stevens on Sunday endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race, accelerating the string of headaches she's caused for Democrats in the eleventh hour of a critical race between Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, CNBC, Politico, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, HotAir, Townhall, twitchy.com, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NewsMax.com, Mediaite, RedState, The Borowitz Report, Mother Jones and The Independent

Associated Press:

Michigan Democrats' unity push falters as Stevens is asked to skip event with El-Sayed — Michigan Democrats are heading to church in Detroit on Sunday in an attempt to present a united front behind Abdul El-Sayed in a race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate.

Discussion: Associated Press, Straight Arrow, Roll Call, WTOP News, Washington Examiner, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, twitchy.com and NRSC

Politico:
Haley Stevens appears with Republican Mike Rogers after fallout with Abdul El-Sayed

Discussion: New York Post, The Hill, The Daily Caller, The Message Box, Meidas+, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, NBC News and Townhall

Prem Thakker / Zeteo:
BREAKING: Haley Stevens Endorses Republican in Final Attempt to Tank Abdul El-Sayed

Andrew Solender / Axios:
Haley Stevens' staff and colleagues erupt at her “betrayal”

Discussion: The Hill, Politico, Washington Post, The Washington Sun, NPR, Washington Examiner, CBS News, MS NOW, Mediaite and The American Conservative

Cheyanne M. Daniels / Politico:
Why El-Sayed's final campaign swing includes a Black church in Detroit

Discussion: KFTC-TV, Fox News, Washington Post, twitchy.com and Political.org

Erin Doherty / Politico:
1 last weekend campaign push

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Wire and The Guardian

Axios:

Why Florida Republicans are “white-knuckled” about Tuesday — Florida Republicans aren't panicking about sluggish turnout for the midterms, but in the words of one GOP elder: “We're white-knuckled.” … - “I don't necessarily want to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think the turnout …

G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:

Early voting data suggests blue wave, Dems could exceed 2018 turnout advantage — Final early voting records from Texas, Georgia, and now North Carolina show Democrats benefiting from an “engagement gap” that exceeds the party's advantage in 2018 — A few programming reminders before the Election …

NBC News:

Poll: Voters demand change and a check on Trump, fueling a steep Democratic midterm advantage — Trump's disapproval rating hits a record high of 60% in a new national NBC News poll, and Democrats have a 7-point lead in the battle for Congress ahead of Tuesday's elections.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Politico, Washington Post and YouGov

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

The ‘Blacklash’ Is Here … The first hint appeared in the 2025 elections, when Democrats won larger-than-expected margins in Virginia and New Jersey. Then, beginning early this year, the turnout numbers in primaries were unmistakable. And now, the story is blaring in neon as early and absentee votes soar.

Discussion: MS NOW

Anna Griffin / New York Times:

Did the Peltola Campaign Seal the Fate of Alaska's Ranked Choice Vote? — Beyond hotly contested Senate and governor's races, Alaskans will decide Tuesday whether to scrap the state's unique ballot. The campaign of Mary Peltola may have bolstered critics of the system.

Discussion: emptywheel, NewsMax.com, Al Jazeera, Fixing Bugs In Democracy and The Hill

Wil Courtney / Webcenter Fairbanks:
Court dismisses DOJ lawsuit attempting to delay election certification, separate ballots

Discussion: MeidasTouch, Washington Examiner, MS NOW, CNBC, The Hill, RedState, The Gateway Pundit and Political.org

Jonathan Martin / Politico: The ‘Blacklash’ is here — With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco and Irie Sentner — Good Sunday morning.

NBC News:
Federal judge dismisses Trump attempt to interfere in Alaska Senate race

Discussion: NPR, KCLU, The Independent and Democracy Docket

Matthew Choi / Washington Post:
Both parties tried to game Alaska primary field

Discussion: CNN

Violet Jira / Washington Post:
Sen. Dan Sullivan says he will accept Alaska's election results even if he doesn't win

Discussion: Bloomberg, NBC News, NewsMax.com, Political.org and The Hill

Chris Hippensteel / The Guardian:
Judge dismisses Trump attempt to block Alaska Senate race results if Republican loses

Discussion: Washington Examiner, CNBC, Washington Post and Daily Mail

Natasha Korecki / NBC News:
‘Sea change’: Early voting numbers show Hispanic turnout exploding in Texas

Discussion: Hopium Chronicles, Joe.My.God. and CBS News

Ronald Brownstein / CNN:
If a blue wave is coming, here are the races where it will start

Discussion: Politico, NPR, The Hill and Axios

Nicholas Riccardi / Associated Press:
Sullivan claims Peltola is ‘still lying’ about campaign's involvement in Alaska ballot controversy

Discussion: New York Post, The Independent and The Hill

Andrew Solender / Axios:
Dems and GOP quietly bankroll dozens of third-party spoilers

Discussion: Al Jazeera and The Washington Sun

Politico:

Chris Murphy is hospitalized after stroke — Sen. Chris Murphy is being hospitalized following a stroke, an aide to the Connecticut Democrat said Sunday. — “Yesterday afternoon, Senator Murphy started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son's hockey game.

Discussion: The Guardian, Western Massachusetts News, RedState, Crooks and Liars, The Daily Wire and Talking Points Memo

Steven Sloan / Associated Press:

Sen. Chris Murphy had a stroke and is in the hospital, his office says — Sen. Chris Murphy is in the hospital after having a stroke, according to the Connecticut Democrat's office. In a statement Sunday, Murphy's chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, said the senator “started experiencing numbness …

Barak Ravid / Axios:

Trump has frank call with Netanyahu about next move in Iran war — President Trump had a candid phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday about the state of U.S. negotiations with Iran and how quickly to return to combat, according to one Israeli and one U.S. source.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The American Conservative, Washington Examiner, Al Jazeera, The Japan Times and National Review

The Hill:
The dangerous illusion of ‘a little Epic Fury’

Discussion: MeidasTouch

Financial Times:
Military briefing: what would another US-Iran conflict look like?

Discussion: Daily Mail and KRDO

New York Times:

Gaffes and Men's Bodies: Analysis of Trump's Speeches at Age 80 — A Times review of the president's public speeches finds that he is more profane, more absolutist, longer-winded and less coherent than he was in 2016. — NEWS ANALYSIS — A Times review of the president's public speeches finds …

Discussion: Althouse

David French / New York Times:

Trump Has Found the Attorney General of His Dreams — October was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month for the Department of Justice. — The worst moment happened on Oct. 5, when the department made a third attempt to prosecute James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mira Bhakta / The Hill:

Trump says he'll become ‘Mr. Veto’ if Democrats take Congress — President Trump said his strategy if the GOP loses control of the House and the Senate would be to “become Mr. Veto.” — “Well, if that happens, I guess I'll become Mr. Veto. I'm not going to let them through,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News.