“Oil prices rose further on Friday, as hostilities across the Middle East continue to raise fears in the energy markets that the oil supply from the region would remain throttled,” the New York Times reports. “The price of Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, jumped above $117 a barrel on Friday, taking its increase for […]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “We’ve told you how early voting is surging in Democratic-leaning parts of Georgia, even as Republicans raise concerns about lagging turnout in rural GOP strongholds.” “Now comes another encouraging sign for Democrats: Black and younger voters are heading to the polls at a significantly faster clip than during the last midterm election.”

“In the final weeks before the midterms, President Trump has been trying to convince voters that the economy is booming on his watch,” the Wall Street Journal reports. Said Trump: “You’re making more money per individual than at any time in the history of our country.” “But his message is drawing more criticism than support […]

“A tanker carrying diesel left the Russian port of Primorsk and intermittently signaled New York, potentially marking the first such shipment following a fuel-supply agreement between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump,” Bloomberg reports.

“Even as President Trump pursued a thawing of relations with the Kremlin this week, a covert Russian influence operation targeted the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas, James Talarico, by spreading a fabricated claim of misconduct,” the New York Times reports. “Several groups of researchers who track Russian disinformation operations attributed the claim […]

“When he took office in 1933, Roosevelt was determined to avoid foreign entanglements that would harm his ambitious domestic agenda of the New Deal. But over the course of his first two terms, a network of journalists, activists, advisers, and diplomats gradually awakened him to the global dangers of fascism.”

“President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will vote early in person in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Saturday,” CBS News reports.

“President Trump once called ‘tariff’ the most beautiful word in the dictionary. He has somehow made it one of the most hated words in politics,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “In their midterm ads, Democrats repeatedly bash tariffs. Republicans, by contrast, are largely silent. One exception: Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers who calls to ‘end […]

“Two former FBI officials who have come under withering criticism from allies of President Donald Trump have been charged with allegedly lying to Congress over the investigation into former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden,” NBC News reports. “A court docket shows that Nikki Floris, the former deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, […]

“The Justice Department has moved to preemptively block certification of the results of Alaska’s Senate race if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses his tight race against Democrat Mary Peltola next month,” the Washington Post reports. “In a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday, department officials described the candidacy of a third contender in […]

One of the potential “November surprises” I discussed on today’s episode of Trial Balloon is a race that has received remarkably little national attention: Mississippi’s Senate contest. Democratic strategists have been quietly pointing to the state as a potential upset opportunity ever since the 2024 election. Read the rest of this columnTalking Points is my […]

“Democrats are preparing a broad oversight agenda if the party sweeps control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, signaling investigations of President Donald Trump, his family, his aides and top Republican donors amid a string of reports of corruption in Washington,” the Washington Sun reports. “But Democratic operatives are warning […]

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G. Elliot Morris: “Low-knowledge 2024 voters say they backed Trump by 8 points, according to our poll. Today they give him a net job approval of −27, a 35-point shift. Compare that to Trump’s approval rating among voters who got both questions right: These voters backed Harris by 1 point and now give Trump a […]

“High gas prices continue to weigh on wallets as voters list affordability as a top concern ahead of early November’s midterm elections,” ABC News reports. “The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.27, marking an increase of nearly $1.30, or 43%, since the outbreak of the Iran war in February.” “Fuel […]

“James Talarico’s campaign hit back at Elon Musk Thursday, calling the 2026 election cycle’s top spender out for his cash infusion in the Texas Senate race amid an ongoing feud between the Democratic nominee and the world’s richest man,” CNBC reports. “A video posted by the Talarico campaign’s account on X Thursday of a new […]

“President Trump has been urging Republican voters to pretend that he is on the ballot for the midterm elections. One of his leading allies, the Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany, is clearly hoping they will not,” the New York Times reports. Said Tiffany: “My opponent, all he talks about is Donald Trump, MAGA, all the […]

“New information about the criminal history of Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Ohio Democratic nominee for governor, Amy Acton, is coming to light amid the backlash about her appearance in a Vivek Ramaswamy ad — including her conviction for animal neglect after several kittens in her care died in a hot car,” Mediaite reports.

“The White House’s press secretary vacancy won’t necessarily keep the briefing room closed,” Semafor reports. “President Donald Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, told Semafor that the next briefing would come ‘soon’ — but if it happens before the midterms, a new press secretary likely won’t be behind the podium.” “Trump is in no rush to […]

“Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso will campaign with Ken Paxton next week in Texas as Republicans work overtime to try to hold onto the endangered seat,” Politico reports.

“Jared Kushner is pushing back on a report involving a hacked iPhone, international spies and billion-dollar transfers from foreign governments,” CBS News reports. “An upcoming book by journalist Matthew Cole claims Kushner, who is President Trump’s son-in-law, had access to more than $2 billion in ‘slush money funds’ from Middle Eastern leaders in an attempt […]

Jonathan Martin: “It’s tempting to say that Vivek Ramaswamy’s ad deploying the estranged mother of his opponent in the Ohio governor’s race is the worst sort of ends-justify-the-means politics.” “But the ends, in this case, are likely to be an even more pronounced rejection of Ramaswamy at the polls next month. The spot isn’t just […]

“President Donald Trump has just one way left to bring down gas prices: ending the Iran war,” Semafor reports. “Already, his administration has expanded access to red-dyed diesel; unlocked Russian diesel; waived the Jones Act; and tapped the U.S. strategic reserve in an effort to lower costs. Yet oil prices hit a five-month high today, […]

“President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at bringing down housing costs in a bid to show that his administration is addressing voters’ affordability concerns in the final sprint to the midterm elections,” Bloomberg reports. “The order would direct the Federal Housing Finance Agency to create a pilot program that would proactively […]

A new Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) poll in Texas finds James Talarico (D) leading Ken Paxton (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 51% to 47%. Texas Senate Race James Talarico (D) 51%   Ken Paxton (R) 47%   Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) poll · likely voters The same poll in Texas finds Greg […]

Wall Street Journal: “A tidal wave of retirements, some the easy way (Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Michael McCaul), others the hard way (Sens. John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy), is going to wipe out more than 800 years of combined congressional experience from Capitol Hill next year…” “The risk with all these lawmakers leaving is: experience. […]

A new VoteHub/Verasight poll in Texas finds Greg Abbott (R) leading Gina Hinojosa (D) in the governor’s race, 48% to 46%. Texas Governor’s Race Greg Abbott (R) 48%   Gina Hinojosa (D) 46%   VoteHub/Verasight poll · likely voters · ±4.3% The same poll in Texas finds James Talarico (D) leading Ken Paxton (R) in […]

Mediaite: “President Donald Trump called on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to resign from Congress on Thursday night, claiming she used a ‘fake name’ when getting elected.”

Ed Kilgore: “The term carpetbagger was originally applied to Northerners who moved South after the Civil War to launch political careers under the protection of military Reconstruction; it referred to the hastily procured bags manufactured from carpet scraps the transplants allegedly used. More recently, the term has been applied to politicians who conveniently relocate themselves […]

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a slur to proudly announce to an auditorium of Marines in September that he was ridding the military of all transgender troops,” the New York Times reports. “But just steps from the auditorium where Mr. Hegseth spoke, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, boards assigned to carry out those orders were […]